Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But the Lord shall arise upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up your eyes round about and see; all they gather themselves together. They come to thee; thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Then thou shalt see and flow together, and thy heart shall fear and be enlarged. Because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come to thee. The multitude of the camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah. All they from Seba shall come, and they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth praise to the Lord. All the flocks of Kadar shall be gathered together unto thee. The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee, and they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

Father, as we look at your word tonight and consider these passages that, in many ways, are yet to be fulfilled, it stirs in our heart a desire to see these things come to pass. A desire, an anticipation, an expectation that you are still working and will fulfill your word. What a great joy it is to know that not one jot or tittle, not the smallest mark, will pass from your word until all is fulfilled.

We stand tonight as those who are witnessing these prophecies come to pass. What a great blessing it is to our hearts, Lord, knowing that you are still on the throne and you're still sovereign; you still govern in the affairs of man. When it seems like the world is just spinning out of control, you are still on the throne. As we see in Psalm 46, when the nations are raging, Lord, you are still enthroned.

In heaven, you utter your voice, and the earth melts. You say to us, "Be still and know that I am God." We know, Lord, that you will be exalted above the heavens. We look forward to that day when all the earth shall see and know your glory. Your glory shall cover the earth as the water covers the sea.

But, Lord, in our lives today, we pray that this would be the case: that you would reign supreme in our lives. We should not only be looking forward to the millennial kingdom when you rule and reign in righteousness, but we should also know that rule and reign in our own hearts even as we stand before you at this moment. So, God, govern the affairs of our lives and teach us through your word. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, "Amen." You can be seated.

In chapter 59, last week, you may remember that we saw there was darkness and blindness upon the children of Israel. Isaiah 59, verse 9 states, "Therefore, judgment is far from us," Isaiah said, "neither does justice overtake us. We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope as if we had no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the night. We are in desolate places as dead men."

The people of Judah and Jerusalem, at the time in which Isaiah was speaking these words and writing them down, were in desolate places because of their sin. They were living in the cities of Judah, with the city of Jerusalem still there in the midst of the nation, but they were truly in desolation because of their sin. They walked in darkness, and God called to His prophet, saying through him to the people, "Arise and shine."

How could they arise and shine? At this point in time, they were in the midst of darkness, and God was speaking of something that was yet to come. There is coming a day when they would be able to arise and shine, but what would cause them to do this? Notice what it says in verse 1: "For your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." When their light would come, then they would rise and shine.

What is that light? What is that light that would come? In the Gospel of John, we see an answer to that question.

If you want to turn there from the right of Isaiah, go to John chapter 8. In John chapter 8, we find one of Jesus' seven "I am" statements upon which the Gospel of John is founded. The Gospel of John is built around seven statements that Jesus made and seven miracles that He performed. One of these statements is found in John chapter 8, verse 12, where Jesus spoke, saying, "I am the light of the world, and he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." What a great declaration that is!

To prove that Jesus is, in fact, the light of the world, He would perform a miracle to substantiate His message in the very next chapter. In John chapter 9, we see that Jesus heals a young man who was blind from birth to prove His statement that He is the light of the world. Spiritually speaking, the nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem in the seventh and eighth centuries BC, at the time in which Isaiah ministered and wrote, were spiritually walking in darkness because of their blindness. God is calling them to arise and shine, but that shining would not take place until their light would come.

"Behold, thy light has come, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." This shining would not take place until the Lord would come, both in His first coming, wherein you and I are called to shine brightly as lights, and then in His second coming, where He will glorify His people once again, the nation of Israel. Jesus came, He suffered, He died, and He rose from the dead to give light to His people.

In Acts chapter 26, verse 23, we read that Christ should suffer and that He should be the first to rise from the dead and show light unto the people and to the Gentiles. Jesus suffered, He died, and He rose from the dead so that He would be able to show light to His people, who first rejected Him and largely continue to reject Him to this day, but also to show His light to the Gentiles. We tonight are the recipients of that light shining to the Gentiles.

So Jesus has called us, through His apostles, to rise and shine, just as He called the children of Israel at the time of Isaiah to rise and shine through the prophet. In Ephesians chapter 5, verse 14, the apostle Paul says, "Wherefore, he says, awake you that..."

Sleep and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. Awaken to those who are spiritually dead. The Lord says, "Arise." Arise because of the work that Jesus has done. Awake from that sleep, and rise, and Christ will give you light. Through Jesus' life and the gospel that He preached, He has brought to light life and immortality by the gospel.

One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is in 2 Timothy, chapter 1. If you want to turn there, 2 Timothy is Paul's last letter that he would write before his death. In 2 Timothy 1, verse 10, he says to this young man in the faith, Timothy, "But now it is made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Jesus exposes life and immortality through the gospel. He opens up the mystery of the resurrection and brings it into light so that you and I can see it. He brings to light eternal life. Jesus calls to us that we would come to that life because He is the light of the world.

Well then, what's the problem? We know from the Scriptures that not all people recognize the light. In the opening chapters of the Gospel of John, specifically in John chapter 1, it says that He, Jesus, the light of the world, was in the world, and the world was made by Him. Verse 10 states, "But the world knew Him not." Unfortunately, this world, which is in darkness because of the blindness of sin, does not recognize the light. They do not recognize that Jesus is that bright light shining to them and calling them to arise and shine themselves.

Not only does the world not recognize Him, but His own, as we are told in John chapter 1, verse 11, did not receive Him. He came to His own, and His own received Him not. Why is it that some do not recognize Him and others do not receive Him? Why is it that so many do not respond to the light that is Christ? What is it about Jesus that causes people not to respond to that light as they walk in darkness, filled with spiritual blindness? The answer comes in John chapter 3, when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. Remember Nicodemus, one of the teachers of Israel? In fact, Jesus called him "the teacher" in Jerusalem.

He comes to Jesus by night, probably sent there by the Pharisees of his day to ask Jesus some questions. You remember the story: Jesus tells him, "You must be born again if you're going to see the kingdom of God." This blows Nicodemus' mind because, although he thought he was enlightened, he walked in darkness.

Notice what Jesus says in John chapter 3, verse 19: "This is the condemnation that light has come into the world, but men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil." There are those in this world who do not recognize the light as Jesus has come into the world. There are those who do not receive Him when He comes, like His own people. Most people don't want to come to the light because their deeds are evil. Light has come into this dark world, and He has given us the opportunity to come out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Yet, so many people reject that because their deeds are evil. Not just because they are blind, but because they do not want to be exposed. They do not want to come and walk in the light.

The awesome thing, however, is that when we read in 1 John chapter 1, we find that those who come to the light and walk in the light find not only that their deeds are exposed, but that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all of our sin. You see, one of the great lies of Satan to man is that you don't want to come to the light that is Christ because you're going to be exposed. You're going to be ruined. Yet, we find in 1 John 1:7 that if we will come to the light, our sin will be exposed, but we will find something greater than our sin: the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin.

We, the church, are those who have now been called out of darkness and into the light of Christ. In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9, we are told that we are to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His light. That is the commission that God has given to us: to go into all the world and proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His light. Not only that, we are to arise and shine. In Matthew chapter 5, verse 16, Jesus tells His disciples, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." That is the call that God has given to us: to go into a dark world and to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light, and to shine.

Brightly in this world, we are called to let people see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. We have no light in and of ourselves; we are actually pretty dull, are we not? However, we are to be those who reflect the light of Jesus Christ, just like the moon. The moon has no light of its own, but it reflects the light of the sun. Similarly, we have no light in and of ourselves, but we are to reflect the light of the Son, Jesus Christ. As He shines on our lives, we are to shine in this world.

That is what He has called us to. This is what He is calling the children of Israel to when He says in Isaiah 60, verse 1, "Arise and shine." Why? Because the light has come. Your light has come, and now you can shine His light into this world. In verse 2 of Isaiah chapter 60, it states, "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to the light and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

This world is in darkness, and God's desire, His intent for His people, the children of Israel—those He chose back in Genesis chapter 12 through Abraham—was the very same desire He has for you and me. His desire was that they would be a people set apart, called out of darkness, so that He could shine His light upon them and they would reflect His light to the rest of the world. However, they failed to do that which God called them to, and we are sometimes in real danger of failing to do it as well.

Yet, there is a promise given in Isaiah chapter 60 that God will fulfill the work He has for His people, the children of Israel. He will one day shine upon them, and they will shine to this world because there is darkness that covers the earth—a thick darkness that envelops all the nations and all the people of the earth. God says, "I want you to stand up and shine My light so that they will see My glory." They will not see your glory; they will see My glory upon you.

What will be the response? The Gentiles shall come to your light. You may remember a number of months ago when we were in Isaiah chapter 8. It has been a while, but back in Isaiah chapter 8, at the end of the chapter, God used similar language in speaking to His people, the children of Israel. You may want to go back there, to Isaiah chapter 8, verse 19.

We read there, "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards that peep and unto them that mutter, should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead?" God is speaking to His people who were walking in sin, seeking after mediums and fortune tellers. He says, "Why are you seeking these people who can give you no truth? Why are you seeking the dead on behalf of the living? Why don't you seek the Lord?"

To the law and to the testimony, Isaiah says, "Turn to God's word." If these mediums and sorcerers do not speak according to this word, God's word, it is because there is no light in them. The light is revealed in God's word, and there are many people in this world who supposedly have truth, yet they are filled with darkness. The only truth that is enlightening is that which is in God's word. God was saying to His people in Judah and Jerusalem, as recorded in Isaiah chapter eight, "Why are you looking to those who are full of darkness to try and find truth? You will not find it."

In verse 20, it states, "They shall pass through it hardly bested and hungry, and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves and curse their king and their God and look upward. They shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven into darkness." Here, God speaks to His people who are seeking after those who have supposed truth but are full of darkness. He says, "If you would turn to Me, you would find light. But since you turn to them, you will be led away into darkness."

However, in chapter nine, there is a great promise of the first coming of the Messiah, the one who would bring light. Isaiah chapter nine, verse one states, "Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be as such as it was in her vexation. When at first He lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan and Galilee of the nations, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light."

In the midst of darkness, God gives a promise in Isaiah chapter nine about the coming of the light, the first coming of the light. Those who were in darkness in the Northern ten tribes of the nation of Israel, in Galilee of the Gentiles, are promised this great light.

To come. And when this great light comes, what’s going to happen? Well, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has that light shined. Those that were in darkness among the children of Israel, the light is going to come and shine upon them.

And what will it bring? Verse three states, "You have multiplied the nation and not increased the joy. They joy before you, according to the joy of the harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For you have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and garments rolled in blood. But this shall be with burning and fuel for fire."

So, God says this light is going to come and shine upon those among the nation of Israel that are in darkness. It will be a light that brings joy and rejoicing, deliverance, and joy. It will break the yoke of his burden.

What is this light? It is expressed to us in verse six of Isaiah, chapter nine: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." This is the prophecy of the Messiah. He is that light that would come and shine upon the darkness covering the people of Israel. This is speaking of Jesus's first coming.

Very similar words to what we see in Isaiah, chapter 60, but Isaiah, chapter 60 speaks about the light coming not just to the children of Israel, as in Jesus's first coming, but his light coming in a second coming to all nations and shining upon his people.

In Isaiah, chapter 60, verse four, the prophet continues, "Lift up your eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together. They come to thee. Thy son shall come from afar and thy daughter shall be nursed at thy side. You shall see and flow together, and thy heart shall fear and be enlarged because of the abundance of the sea that shall be converted under thee. The force of the Gentiles shall come unto thee."

God says to his people, "Lift up your eyes." To those that he regathers, to those that he glorifies at the last day, lift up your eyes and see the multitudes of the people that are gathering themselves together. They are gathering themselves together to come back to the land, to worship the Lord, and they are bringing your dispersed children, the Lord says.

God gathers the strength of the Gentiles in verses four and five together to come up to his glorified people in Jerusalem. This is very likely speaking about the time when God glorifies his people, the nation.

of Israel once again during the millennial reign of Christ. Now, that may be a new term to you. Perhaps you've never heard it before or had it fully explained to you. But we're going to discuss it a little bit tonight as we continue through this passage. Prophetically, as we look at the outline of the things that are yet to come, there is a day coming when Jesus will return to the earth. He will first return to judge the wicked, but then, after he judges the wicked, he will rule and reign here upon the earth for a thousand-year period, a time that we call the millennial reign of Christ.

During that time, he will glorify his people, the children of Israel, and he will give them a new work once again to be priests of the Lord. They will serve God once again. There will be Gentile people who were not judged during the day of vengeance of God, during that time of wrath, who will enter into the millennial reign. They will all gather together. We see in verses four and five that they will gather in Jerusalem once again, at a temple that is going to be built to worship, honor, and serve God. Jesus will be here upon the earth himself in bodily form once again, and the nations will gather together in Jerusalem. All the dispersed of God's people, the children of Israel, will be gathered once again.

Verse six states that the multitude of camels shall cover Jerusalem and Judah. The multitude of camels will cover the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah. All they from Sheba shall come, bringing gold and incense, and they shall show forth praises to the Lord. 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 my altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

In Judges chapter six, you may remember the story of Gideon, the man whom God called a mighty man before the Lord. He had great strength, even though he was hiding from the Midianites. When we meet Gideon in Judges chapter six, he is threshing wheat in a winepress, which is not the best place to do that job. The reason he was threshing wheat in the winepress is that Judges chapter six tells us that for seven years, the children of Israel were oppressed by the Midianites. Every single year at harvest time, the Midianites would come up into the land.

Jerusalem, and they would steal the fruitfulness of the people of Israel. That's why Gideon was hiding his harvest and threshing it in a winepress; he was trying to keep it from the Midianites. In Judges chapter six, verse four, we are told that the Midianites would come and encamp against the children of Israel, destroying the increase of the earth. They would destroy their harvest and cover the land with camels without number. Like grasshoppers, it says in verse five of Judges chapter six, they came up into the land.

The perfect picture of this situation is the Pixar movie A Bug's Life. Many of you may remember that story. There are ants that gather all this food together, and then every year, around harvest time, Hopper and his gang of grasshoppers would come in and take away their fruitfulness. It's the exact illustration of what we see in the story of Gideon in Judges chapter seven. I wonder if they didn't pull it directly from there.

The Midianites would come up into the land of Israel and cover it like grasshoppers, bringing all their camels without number. The idea of bringing up their camels was that they would pack all of their tents and so forth on their camels. It was like they pulled up their RVs in the land of Israel and encamped during the whole time of the harvest, stealing from the children of Israel.

However, in Isaiah chapter 60, verse six, we read about the coming day when the Lord rules and reigns in righteousness during the millennial period. The multitudes of the camels, bringing our minds back to Judges chapter six, shall cover the dromedaries of Midian and Ephod. Ephod was the firstborn son of Midian, so Midian and his descendants will come back into the nation of Israel during that millennial period. Those who were once enemies of the children of Israel back in Judges chapter six, those who used to steal from them, will return to the land during the reign of Christ, a yet future period.

What will they do? Will they steal from the people? No, they shall bring gold and incense and shall show forth the praises of the Lord. A great transformation is going to take place when the Lord rules and reigns. Those who were once enemies of the children of Israel will now come and worship the God of Israel.

Not only the people of Midian, but we read of the flocks of Kadar and the rams of Nebaioth in verse seven. Kadar and Nebaioth were sons of Ishmael. Genesis chapter 25, verse 13 tells us that they were descendants of Ishmael.

Now consider this: Abraham was called by God in Genesis chapter 12, and he was given a promise by the Lord that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand of the sea. Yet, when God called him at 75 years old, he had no children. He wondered how the Lord was going to fulfill this promise. After a period of time, he became anxious, feeling that maybe the Lord wasn't going to fulfill that promise.

Have any of you ever gone through that before, where you try to help God out? Abraham tried to help God out by producing an heir with his wife's handmaid, Hagar. That son's name was Ishmael. God was not going to use what was called the work of Abraham's flesh to fulfill His promise, but He did bless Ishmael. Ishmael would go on to have children—twelve sons, in fact—just like Jacob would have twelve sons. His firstborn son was Nebaioth, and his second was Kadar.

Here we see those who were formerly enemies of the children of Israel, even though they were related to Jacob. They came into the land to be a blessing to God. Kadar and Nebaioth were related to Abraham and the children of Israel, but so were Midian and Ephah. Midian was a descendant of Abraham as well. After Abraham's wife, Sarah, died in Genesis chapter 25, we are told that Abraham married another woman, Keturah, and she gave birth to a son named Midian. Thus, Midian was also related to the children of Israel.

Yet, these relatives of Israel—the descendants of Ishmael, Kadar and Nebaioth, and the descendants of Abraham by Keturah, Midian and his children—although they were relatives, they were enemies of Israel throughout their history. However, in the time to come, we see that they shall be rejoined to the children of Israel and worship God in the millennial kingdom.

What is awesome about this? Do you realize that today the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Midian are...

Islamic peoples? They're Muslims. Yet, there is coming a day when we will see even their redemption brought into the reign of Christ during the millennial period. They will be worshiping and serving God, as we see in this passage. The flocks of Kedar will be gathered together. The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto the Lord. They shall come up with acceptance on my altar, says God, and I will glorify the house of my glory. This is an awesome work that God is going to bring about in this future period that we are looking forward to.

In verse eight, we read, "Who are these that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows?" Surely, the isles shall wait for me, says the Lord, the ships of Tarshish first to bring my sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, under the name of the Lord, thy God, and the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you. Isaiah sees in this vision a multitude like a cloud; he sees this multitude like a cloud of doves, all journeying up to Jerusalem. They are coming there not as birds of prey to attack, but like a flock of doves.

He says, "Surely the isles shall wait for me," the Lord says, referring to all the other nations, the distant nations. In verses six and seven, we read about those that surrounded the nation of Israel, the enemies of Israel today. However, in the future kingdom, they will rejoice with the children of Israel, worshiping God. It is not just those nations that are closely related to the children of Israel; the distant nations, called the isles here, are also waiting for the voice of the Lord. God will call them to come to the land, to come to Jerusalem.

They will help bring back the children of Israel, and not only will they assist in this return, but they will also bring their silver and their gold to offer to the Lord. In verse ten, we read, "And the sons of the strangers shall build up their walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; for in my wrath I smote you, but in my favor I have had mercy upon you." Therefore, your gates shall be open continually, and they shall not be shut day nor night.

At night, men may bring unto thee the forces or the strength of the Gentiles, and the kings may be brought. Foreigners will return with the children of Israel, those from distant lands and other nations. Gentiles are going to come back to the land, and they are going to help rebuild the waste places. Even kings are seen as ministering unto the children of Israel. The great honorable people of other nations are coming and worshipping the Lord, serving God's people in the land of Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Christ.

Now, this is not speaking of the church. The church is going to be ruling and reigning with the Lord. Israel is going to be serving God as priests of the Lord. The nations that are still here upon the earth, which are not judged at the day of God's vengeance, will come into the millennial reign. They will all gather together in Jerusalem to worship God with an acceptable offering. People from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation will gather to worship and serve the Lord in that millennial kingdom. This is a day to be looked forward to.

We are told that when that nation, when those waste places are rebuilt, their gates shall be open continually, and they shall not shut them day or night. When God, in His anger, smote the children of Israel, bringing their enemies against them, they had to seal themselves off from the world by closing up the gates and walling up their cities. But when He pours His mercy upon them, granting it in full measure, they will no longer be afraid of their enemies, and their gates will be open continually. Even during the night seasons, the gates will be open.

In ancient times, a city like Jerusalem had high walls for defense. The gates would be open during the day, but at nighttime, when the sun went down, they would shut those gates, secure the city, and put watchmen upon the walls. However, in this yet future time, when Jesus rules and reigns, when Jerusalem is restored and the Lord is here upon the earth, the gates will be open continually.

Why are the gates open continually? They are open so that all the peoples can come in continually. The gates are not only open because of a lack of terror but also because of the abundance of the treasure of the peoples gathering together. A steady stream of people will come up before the Lord in Jerusalem day and night, and so the gates will remain open. The nation and the kingdom that will not serve you will perish.

Yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box tree together to beautify the place of My sanctuary. I will make the place of My feet glorious.

Apparently, the covenant that God made with Abraham will extend into that millennial reign. The covenant that God made in Genesis chapter 12, verse 3, states, "I will bless him who blesses you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth, or all the nations of the earth, shall be blessed." Here, we see in the millennial reign that any nation or kingdom that does not serve the Lord and serve His people in Jerusalem will perish. They will be among the wicked that will be destroyed on the day of vengeance of God. However, the rest of the nations will gather together and come up to worship and serve God.

In verse 13, we read about the glory of Lebanon being brought unto them. In modern history, Lebanon is an enemy of the children of Israel. But when Christ rules and reigns here upon the earth once again, the glory of Lebanon will be brought as a gift to the Lord in the city, just as when Hiram was king of Lebanon back in the book of First Kings. He brought wood to Solomon to build the temple and a palace in the city of Jerusalem. Once again, those sorts of things are going to take place.

Now, we read at the end of verse 13 that God will beautify the place of His sanctuary and make the place of His feet glorious. In First Chronicles, chapter 28, verse 2, David makes it clear that the temple of the Lord is the footstool of our God. The temple in Jerusalem is the footstool of God. So, when God says that He is going to beautify the place of His feet, it refers to the temple in Jerusalem being beautified once again, even though there is no temple at this point. There will be one day.

Ezekiel, chapters 40 through 47, describes a glorious temple that will one day be built as the Lord rules and reigns here upon the earth. Additionally, I think you could interpret this another way when it says that He will make the place of His feet glorious. When we get to Isaiah, chapter 66, in just a few weeks, verse 1 states, "Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool."

During this millennial reign of Christ, the Lord is going to beautify the place of His feet. This earth is going to be restored to a beauty that we have not ever understood or seen. Many believe that it will be restored to a beauty like it was before the fall.

There are many people who are seeking to make the earth a better place and save it today because global warming is going to destroy it. They believe we must get rid of all the pollution and anything that taints or dirties it. I understand that we ought to be good stewards of creation, as God has called us to be. However, there is also a recognition and understanding that He is going to return one day and set the ecology right. We look forward to that day; it is going to be phenomenal.

In verse 14, it says, "The sons also of them that afflicted you shall come bending unto you, and all they that despise thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet. They shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 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."

The descendants of those who afflicted the children of Israel—nations like Assyria, Syria, and Babylon—will gather before you and bow down, not because you are so great, but because your God is so great. The Assyrians, in Isaiah chapters 36 and 37, blasphemed the Lord, claiming that He is just like all the other gods of the other nations. But there is coming a day when they will come before the children of Israel in the New Jerusalem and proclaim that it is the city of the Holy One of Israel. They will reverence Him and fear Him.

In verse 16, it states, "You shall also suck the milk of the Gentiles, shall suck the breast of the kings, and thou shalt know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." Powerful kings and mighty nations will bring the best of their goods to satisfy your every need, as the Lord says here. When you see this restoration and witness God move in this powerful way, you will know that it is the Lord who has done this and that He is your Savior.

He is your Redeemer. Verse 17 states, "For brass, I will bring gold; and for iron, I will bring silver. For wood, I will replace it with brass, and for stones, iron." God promises that when He brings this restoration in the millennial reign, He will make all things better. He will replace brass with gold, iron with silver, and anything made of wood with brass. He will strengthen that which was made with stones and turn it into iron. God is going to strengthen and improve everything in that new period of time.

The illustration breaks down, but it is interesting to consider that in the Bible, bronze is a picture of judgment. In one way, we could interpret the first part of verse 17 to mean that God will replace their judgment with gold, which speaks of glory and purity. He then says, "I will replace your iron with silver." Iron symbolizes bondage, while silver represents redemption. Thus, God tells them, "I will take away judgment and give you glory. I will remove bondage and redeem you." Your officers will be peace, and your exactors will be righteousness. No longer will you be under severe and harsh taskmasters who oppress you; instead, peace and righteousness will lead and rule you.

For those of us who are followers of Jesus today, we already live under this kind of rule. We are governed and led by peace, are we not? In Philippians chapter four, verse six, Paul writes, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." We already live under this kind of government; we enjoy the peace of God guiding and directing us. However, this is something that is yet future for the children of Israel.

Verse 18 states, "Violence shall no more be heard in my land, wasting nor destruction within my borders. But you shall call your walls salvation and your gates praise." In this future millennial reign, violence will be taken away, and salvation and praise will serve as the protection of God's people. They will not need physical walls. In fact, when you read in the Book of Revelation about this period of time, it describes a city without walls, but they are protected by salvation and praise.

Of the Lord. Verse 19 states, "The sun shall no more be thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee as an everlasting light, and thy God, thy glory. And 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." Here, we see God speaking about the lack of need for the sun.

Turn in your Bibles to the very last book of the Bible, Revelation chapter 21. In Revelation 21:23, John, the apostle who saw the revelation of Jesus Christ and recorded it, writes, "And the city had no need for the sun, neither the moon to shine in it. Why? For the glory of the Lord did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

Remember, we opened Isaiah chapter 60 with this call to arise and shine. Why? Because the glory of the Lord is shown upon you. Now we see the glory of Jesus Christ enlightening the earth. There is no need for the moon and the sun; although they may still be there, they are unnecessary because His glory shines.

In Revelation chapter 22, verse 5, it states, "And there shall be no night, and there shall be no need for a candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever."

Returning to Isaiah chapter 60, verse 21, it says, "Thy people also shall be all righteousness, and they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified." By the handiwork of the Lord, God's people will inherit righteousness to the glory of God. They will receive His righteousness and bring forth glory unto Him.

A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. "I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time." Life under the rule and reign of Christ is abundant and full. The length of life is extended, and the descendants are abundant, as we see in verse 22. Life is abundant and full.

Now, we believers, followers of Jesus Christ, experience that abundant life now. In John 10:10, it states, "The thief has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus says, 'I am come that you might have life and that more abundantly.'" Jesus prayed in John 17:3, "This is eternal life, that they might know you, the only true God."

True God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. We have already entered into the abundance of this life. It will never end; it just gets better and better.

Isaiah 61, verse one states, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings or gospel. He has appointed me to preach the gospel unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified."

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. Who is speaking there? Is it the prophet Isaiah, or is he speaking for another man? We know the answer to that question because in Luke chapter four, we are given a very clear answer.

Let me read it to you because we're running out of time. Luke 4, verse 16—jot it down in the margin of your Bible. It says, "And Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read. There was delivered unto Him the scroll or the book of the prophet Isaiah. When He had opened the scroll, He found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.'"

And Jesus closed the book, gave it again to the minister, and sat down. All the eyes of those that were in the synagogue were fastened upon Him, and He began to say unto them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

So we know who it is that is speaking when we read in Isaiah 61, verse one, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." Clearly, it is Jesus. He stands up in the synagogue of Nazareth and reads from the scroll of Isaiah, which we call today Isaiah chapter 61. He opened to the passage and said, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me," and He speaks forth this word.

Now, you may have noticed, since you all are good students of the Scriptures, that he didn't complete reading the entire passage. He stopped in the middle of the section. There was no period where he stopped, but he ended by saying to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

In the passage in Isaiah 61, we notice that it doesn't stop there. It continues with "to preach the acceptable year of the Lord," and "the day of vengeance of our God." Why did Jesus stop there? Well, because Isaiah 61 prophesies both the first and the second coming of the Messiah. We today are still standing upon the comma of Isaiah 61, verse two, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. We are still living in that period of time, but there is coming a day when Jesus will come a second time for the day of vengeance of our God.

In first-century Jewish culture, if a rabbi were to stand up and teach, he would stand up and read the Scriptures. They would always stand to read the Scriptures. That's why we do that here at Calvary Chapel Escondido. After reading, the rabbi would sit down, and when he sat down, that is when he would begin to give an interpretation or a teaching.

In Luke chapter four, when Jesus sat down and all the people's eyes were fastened upon him, they were waiting. They had just heard the passage read, and now they wanted an explanation. What does he say? "Today, this is fulfilled in your ears." What was fulfilled? All those things that related to Jesus's first coming. He came the first time to preach the gospel, to preach good news. He came to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to open the prison to those that are bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

This has to do with Jesus's first coming, but he will come a second time. When he comes the second time, that is when he will fulfill the rest of the passage: to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort those who mourn, to appoint unto those that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That is yet future, but that day will come when he comes to proclaim the day of vengeance.

As we've been studying through the book of Isaiah, you may remember that we've covered the idea of the day of vengeance a number of times. In fact, later on tonight, read through Isaiah chapter 34. Your homework for this next week is to read through Isaiah 34 and 35. Isaiah 34 speaks of the day of vengeance.

Isaiah 35 speaks about what is going to come after the day of vengeance. Let me quickly read to you from Isaiah 34, verse four: "Say to them that are fearful of heart, be strong, do not be afraid. Behold, your God will come with vengeance. Even with recompense, He will come and save you." The Lord is prophesied to come there in Isaiah 34:4. He is going to come with vengeance, and this should be a source of strength for those who are the Lord's because He will save you when He comes with vengeance.

Isaiah 34, verse eight states, "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance and the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion." The day of vengeance is prophesied as coming in Isaiah 34. After the day of vengeance comes the year of recompense. We will see next week, when we get into Isaiah chapter 63, that we read again about the day of vengeance.

In verse one, it asks, "Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra? This that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?" The speaker identifies as the one who speaks in righteousness, saying, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Isaiah then asks Jesus, the one who speaks in righteousness, "Why are you red in your clothing and your garments like him that treads the winepress?"

Jesus answers, "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me. For I will tread them in my anger and I will trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon all my garments, and I will stain all my clothing."

Why? Verse four of Isaiah 63 states, "For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." The day of vengeance is coming when Jesus will return, and He will execute wrath and judgment upon the unrighteous of this world. Then He will redeem His people who are still here upon the earth. He will redeem the children of Israel and comfort those who mourn in Zion, as we see in Isaiah 61, verse three.

At the end of verse two, it says, "To comfort all who mourn and to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified."

So, follow the picture: Jesus is going to come a second time. We are in that period of time, the acceptable year of our Lord, where anyone can come to Christ by grace, through faith, and receive salvation. However, He is coming to execute wrath, and He will judge the wicked of this world.

Will comfort those of His people, the children of Israel who mourn in Zion. The word "comfort" comes from two root words in Latin: the word "con," meaning to be with, and the word "fortis," which means to be strong. The idea is to strengthen by companionship. He is going to show up; He is going to be here upon the earth, and He will comfort His people. He'll appoint unto those that mourn. He'll give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. It is as if God takes the people from the dirge of the funeral and brings them to the rejoicing of the marriage.

Why does He do this? Why will the Lord come and comfort His people that mourn in Zion? Let's look at what it says at the end of verse three: that they, His people, might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting or the garden of the Lord. Why? That He might be glorified. Ultimately, the goal is the glorification of God. He will work to His glory.

Then what will happen after the Lord comes and executes judgment upon the wicked, and then comforts His people that mourn in Zion? Look at verse four: they shall build the old waste places. Now we are entering into the millennial reign. They are going to build the waste places. They shall raise up the former desolations. They shall repair the wasted cities, the desolations of many generations. After the day of vengeance will come the time of God's comfort, and then will come the time of restoration.

Strangers, in verse five, shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien or the foreigner shall be your plowmen and your vine dressers. The wicked will be destroyed. The nation of Israel will be comforted. The rest of the people here upon the earth, who were not accounted with the wicked and are not of the children of Israel, will come into the millennial reign, and they will serve God's people and serve the Lord in that millennial kingdom. They will feed the flocks; they will be the plowmen; they will be the vine dressers.

But you shall be named the priests of the Lord. God is speaking to His people, the children of Israel, during the millennial reign: you shall be the priests of the Lord, and men shall call you ministers of God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory, you shall boast yourselves. Once again, the children of Israel will take their rightful place as the...

Priests of God. God had first called them to be the priests of the Lord in this world, and they failed at that, but He will use them once again to be His ministers. Just as the Levites in the Old Testament were supported by the riches of the rest of the nation, so too will the children of Israel in that millennial reign, who are priests to God, be supported by the wealth of the Gentiles.

Verse seven states, "For your shame, you shall have double, and for your confusion, you shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore, in their land, they shall possess their double. Everlasting joy shall be unto them." Instead of shame and confusion, God will give them a double portion. For I, the Lord, love judgment; I love justice. I hate robbery for burnt offering, and I will direct their work in truth. I will make an everlasting covenant with them. God loves right justice, and He will extend justice once again to His people. Those who rob God or work wickedness will be judged with righteousness.

Verse nine continues, "And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord has blessed." I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God. Why? For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments or as a bride adorns herself with jewels. The Lord clothes His people in righteousness.

Speaking specifically here to the children of Israel who will come into the millennial reign, they will be clothed in the righteousness of the Lord, not in their own righteousness. Throughout their history, the children of Israel thought they were righteous because of who they were, who they descended from, or what they did. They failed to recognize that none of those things would stand up on the day of Christ Jesus, and only being clothed in God's righteousness would they be okay. But when they come into the new kingdom, God says, "I will clothe you with My righteousness."

Now we, the church body of Christ that follows Jesus Christ, recognize that we are clothed in His righteousness. In Second Corinthians chapter five, verse 21, it says, "For God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul, in Philippians chapter three, states that he might be found in Him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Righteousness, which is of God by faith, is essential for us in Christ. We recognize that we cannot stand in our own righteousness. Instead, we are clothed in His righteousness. In the book of Jeremiah, we read that the children of Israel will one day come to this recognition as well—that they need to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Let me read to you from Jeremiah chapter 23, verse 6. It says, "In His day, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety. And this is His name whereby He shall be called: the Lord, our righteousness." Jeremiah prophesies that one day Judah will be saved, and they will be saved by Him, the Lord, our righteousness.

Then, in Jeremiah chapter 33, verse 16, it says again, "In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called: the Lord, our righteousness." Judah will one day come to this recognition. The children of Israel will understand that they cannot stand before God based on their own righteousness; it can only be through the righteousness of Christ.

This should serve as a great instruction and exhortation to you and me. We cannot stand before God in worship or in service by our own strength or good works, but only by the blood of the Lamb. We are to be found in Him, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but the righteousness that is by faith in Jesus Christ. That is how we stand, church—no other way. And that is how we shine.

In Romans chapter 3, we find a powerful verse. Verse 21 states, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." The law and the prophets knew that this day would come when righteousness would come apart from the law, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all those that believe, for there is no difference.

We receive Christ's righteousness not by who we are, who we descended from, or what we have done, but by grace through faith. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.

Faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

Let's stand and pray. Father, we look forward to the day when, as we read in Isaiah sixty-one, eleven, the earth will bring forth fruit. And it will, exceedingly and bountifully. God, you will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations.

Father, we look forward to that day. We look forward to the day when you rule and reign here upon the earth. But God, once again tonight, before we close, we submit ourselves to you, asking that you would rule and reign in our lives, that your will would be done on earth as it already is in heaven. Work in our lives in a way that is glorifying to you, that we would shine brightly in a dark world.

For now is the time for us to shine. So, Father, help us to let our light so shine that this world would see our good works and glorify you. For ultimately, your glory is what we're looking forward to. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.