Arise and shine

ARISE AND SHINE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah60:1 1"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Arise, shine
C. G. Scott.
I. TO WHOM THE CHARGE IS ADDRESSED. To the Church of Christ.
This is evident from the context. Further, it appears from the nature of the
charge that it canapply only to the Church. There is none else on earth
capable of at once fulfilling the charge. The world cannot, for it is essentially
dark — "darkness covers the earth." The Church is compared to reflected
and artificial lights. Christ enlightens the world through His Church.
II. THE CHARGE ITSELF. This is a twofold charge implying two distinct
acts.
1. "Arise." This implies that the Church is in the meantime in a prostrate
condition; her place is in the dust. This may be partly in penitence. It may
indicate a state of affliction and mourning; the Church may be sitting in
sackcloth. But chiefly it implies a state of sloth, worldliness, carnality.
Whateverbe the cause of this prostration the Church is directed to rise from
the dust now.

2. "Shine." "Christshall give thee light" for this very purpose; not merely to
enlighten yourself, to impart life and joy to you, but that you may "shine,"
give light to the world. And this applies both to the Church as a whole and to
the members of the Church individually. There are two ways in which those
who have been enlightened by Christ may give light. On the one hand, by
simply shining, eachone in his sphere, as a separate light, perhaps in the
midst of darkness. Onthe other hand, by kindling other lights.
III. THE ARGUMENT BY WHICH IT IS ENFORCED. "Thylight is come,
etc. The Church has no independent light of her own, cannotshine of herself;
and so, such an encouragementas this is needed. "Thy light' — this must
mean Christ Himself, for He is the light of the Church. "Is come" - Christ did
not come till sevenor eight hundred years after this prophecy was delivered.
But the prophet refers to Gospeltimes. Accordingly the Church did arise and
shine at that time more brightly and auspiciouslythan she had ever done
before.
(C. G. Scott.)
An arousing call
There are some Christian men who have wasteda large part of their lives for
want of somebody or something to wake them up. There is more evil wrought
in the world by want of thought than by downright malice, and there is more
goodleft undone through want of thought than through any aversionto the
doing of good. Some Christians appear to have been born in the land of
slumber, and they continually live in their native country of dreams. They rub
their eyes occasionally, and suppose themselves to be wide awake;but they are
in the Enchanted Ground, and, though they know it not, they are little better
than sleep-walkers the most of their days.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
Shining Christians

I. To God's own people this is my first message, REMEMBER YOUR
PRIVILEGE. Your light has come.
1. Recollectout of what darkness that light has delivered you.
2. This light, which God has given you, is His own glory. "And the glory of the
Lord is risen upon thee." Byron speaks ofGod S face being mirrored in the
sea;but there is not space enoughfor the face of Deity to be fully reflected in
the broad Atlantic, or in all the oceans put together. The image of God is to be
fully seenin Jesus Christ, and nowhere else;for there you behold attributes
which Creation cannotdisplay.
3. There is also this blessedthing to be said about this light; you will never lose
it (ver. 20).
II. I WANT TO ROUSE YOU TO SERVICE. "Arise, shine; for, etc. Since
your light has come, shine" —
1. By holy cheerfulness.
2. By a gracious godliness.
3. By zealous earnestness.
4. By a secretbravery.
III. I WANT TO RALLY YOU TO THIS SHINING BY ONE OR TWO
ARGUMENTS.
1. By the world's greatneed (ver. 2).
2. Becauseofthe great results that will surely come of it (ver. 3).
3. Becauseofthe great blessing it will bring to the Church (ver. 13, etc.).
4. "ThatI may be glorified" (ver. 21).
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Epiphany: Christ manifested

G. Huntington, M. A.
I. THE STATE OF THE WORLD BEFORETHE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL
AROSE.
II. THE OBJECT OF THE PRESENTDISPENSATION.
III. THE FUTURE CONSUMMATION.
(G. Huntington, M. A.)
The God-lit Church
A. Maclaren, D. D.
The old story is repeated;Zion sits in the light while Egypt cowers in gloom.
The light which shines upon her is the glory of the Lord, the ancient
brightness that dwelt betweenthe cherubim within the veil in the secretplace
of the MostHigh, and is now come out in the open world to envelop the
desolate captive. Thus touched by the light she becomes light, and in her turn
is bidden to shine. There is a very remarkable correspondence reiteratedin
my text betweenthe illuminating God and the illuminated Zion. The word for
"shine" is connectedwith the word for "light," and might fairly be rendered
"lighten" or "be light." Twice the phrase "thy light" is employed; once to
mean the light which is thine because it shines on thee; once to mean the light
which is thine because it shines from thee. The other word, three times
repeated, for "rising" is the technicalword which expresses the sunrise, and it
is applied both to the flashing glory that falls upon Zion, and to the light that
gleams from her. Touchedby the sun she becomes a sun, and blazes in her
heaven in a splendour that draws men's hearts.
I. AS TO THE FACT. Beneaththe poetry of my text there lie very definite
conceptions ofa very solemn and grave character. and these conceptions are
the foundation of the ringing summons that follows and which reposes upon a
double basis — viz. "for thy light is come," and "for darkness covers the
earth." There is a double element in the representation. We have a darkened
earth and a sunlit and a sun-like Church, and unless we hold these two

convictions in firm grasp, and that not merely as convictions that influence
our understanding, but as ever-presentforces acting on our emotions, our
consciences, ourwills, we shall not do the work God has setus to do in the
world. If we take the sulphurous and smokypall that wraps the earth and
analyze its contents, they are these: the darkness of ignorance, the darkness of
sorrow, the darkness ofsin. On the other side, remember the contrasted
picture here of the sunlit and sunny Church. The incarnation of Jesus Christ
is the fulfilment Of my text, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begottenof the Father, full of grace and truth. If you and I are Christians, we
are bound to believe in Him as the exclusive" source ofcertainty. "We hear
from Him no Peradventue," but His word is "Verily verily, I say unto thee,"
and on that we rest all our knowledge ofGod, of duty, of man, and of the
future. If we have the light we shall be light. That is but putting in a
picturesque form the very centraltruth of Christianity. The last word of the
Gospelis transformation. We become like Him if we live near to Him, and the
end for which the Masterbecame like unto us in His incarnation and passion,
was that we might become like to Him by the receptionof His very own life
unto our souls. These two convictions of these two facts, the dark earth, the
sunlit, sun-like Church, lie at the basis of an our missionary work.
II. WE HAVE BASED UPON THESE TWO FACTS THE SUMMONS TO
THE CHURCH. "Shine, for thy light is come. If we have light, we are light: if
we are light, we shall shine; but the shining is not altogetherspontaneous and
effortless. Stars do not need to be bidden to shine, nor candles either; but we
need the exhortation because there are many things that thwart the brilliance
and the clearance ofour minds. The command suggestseffort, and the effort
may be in the direction of the specific vocalproclamation of His name. If we
are light, we shall be able to shine; if we are light, we are bound to shine; if we
are light, we shall want to shine.
III. THE CONFIDENTPROMISE. "The Gentiles shallcome to thy light, and
kings to the brightness of thy rising." If we have the light we shall be light; if
we are light we shall shine, and if we shine we shall attract. A painter will fling
upon his canvas a scene that you and I, with our purblind eyes, have lookedat
hundreds of times and seenno beauty in it, but when we gaze on the picture

then we see how fair it is. There is an attractive powerin the light of Christ
shining from the face era man.
(A. Maclaren, D. D.)
An imperial ministry
J. H. Jowett, M. A.
This is a greatstatesman's vision unveiling the moral and spiritual
possibilities of a people. The prophet is primarily addressing his speechto an
awakening nation. To direct a nation's views is to shape its policies, and to
determine the trend and colour of its life. What, then, shall be the elements of
an efficient and fruitful ideal? "The Lord shall arise upon thee," etc. (vers. 2,
3). What are the constituent elements in the vision? "Light " and "glory. A
certain light, the element of illumination, charity, and simplicity of thought; a
certain heat, the element of fervour, warm and expansive sympathies; a
certain gravity, the element of impressiveness, weightand strength of moral
principle. But the glory of the ideal is still further enriched and intensified.
We cannottake Isaiah's ideal and employ it with Isaiah's limitation; we must
carry over his vocabulary into the fuller day and let it receive enlargementin
the life and mind of Christ. "Light," interpreted by the characterof the
Master, means the absence of shady compromise, sunlit definiteness of
purpose, the cleardiscernment of essentials. " Heat," interpreted by the
characterof the Master, means, an ardent inclusiveness ofsympathy,
cosmopolitanin its pervasion. "Gravity, glory, interpreted by the characterof
the Master, is significant of moral weight, incorruptible spiritual ambition,
unconquerable virtue, whether illustrated in the light of a marriage-feast, or
in the sombre experience of Pilate's judgment-bar. "Arise!", Stand erectand
setthy face towards the burning vision, and thou shalt "shine' with reflected
glory. By contemplating the Divine thou shalt incarnate the heart of thy
contemplation. "The Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen
upon thee, ' and thy imperial treasure shall be found in thy shining
notabilities, in the radiant motives and ambitions of thy common life. We have
seenthis transfiguring ministry at work in the life of the individual. But we

may be more than a little doubtful as to whether the vision will also serve and
ennoble the community. Well, where is the line of transition? Surely, even in
the nation we have againand againwitnessedthe transforming influence of
the grand ideal. It was even so with the later experiences of the eighteenth
century. The breaking up of formality, the melting of callousness, the opening
out of rivers of philanthropy, the enlargedand sweetenedlife of our people,
the enlightened measure of emancipation, can be directly traced to a "strange
warming of the nation's heart," resulting from a restoredcontemplationof
the light and glory of God. The prophet's vision reveals an imperial deal, and
unveils the only permanent imperial treasure.
1. The imperial characteris to be creative of imperial unity (ver. 4). There is
to be an enrichment of the home, a consolidationofthe family, a knitting
togetherof the finer fellowships of the nation. And mark how this statesman
describes the large characteristicsofthe communion. "Then shalt thou see
and flow together." It is to be an open-eyed communion, an illumined, society,
a fellowship of transparent aims and aspirations. "Thine heart shall fear; the
fellowship is not to be flippant, light-hearted, and vain; it is to be possessedby
the pervasive influence of reverence, that saving element which preserves the
sense oftrue perspective, and gives everything the setting of a just proportion.
"And be enlarged;the fellowshipis not to be fixed and exclusive; its
sympathies are to be elastic and expansive, reaching out in ever enlarging
circles of interest and regard.
2. The imperial unity is to be the minister of a world-wide illumination. "And
nations shall come to thy light," etc. (ver. 3). If this be the true portrayal of
imperial welfare, may we not infer the consequentobligations which rest upon
the leaders of the people? The first essentialofefficient public ministry is a
large and exalted aim. The true aim of every true leaderis to build up the
moral energy of the people. To give ourselves to the production of superior
men — this is the aim which should possess the minds and hearts of all who
exercise leadershipamong their fellow-men. An aim like this, definitely and
personally expressed, and pursued with undeviating consistency, willpreserve
a man from those perils of benumbment which seemto attachthemselves to
every public ministry.

(J. H. Jowett, M. A.)
The privilege and prerogative of the Christian Church
J. S. Spilsbury.
The Church is promised an extraordinary measure of light and glory; an
immense increase in the number of her adherents, universal exaltation in the
eyes of her enemies, and permanent safetyand happiness.
I. THE DIVINE ILLUMINATION WHICH THE CHURCH RECEIVED.
"Thy light is come," etc. The text suggests —
1. The nature of this illumination. It embraces —
(1)The light of Divine revelation.
(2)The light of the Gospeldispensation.
(3)The light of the Holy Spirit's teaching.
2. The necessityof this illumination. The Church existed in a dark age;
intellectual, moral, and spiritual darkness prevailed everywhere. This was
preeminently the case whenChrist came. This was —
(1)The darkness ofmoral guilt.
(2)The darkness ofreligious error.
(3)The darkness ofspiritual ignorance. This darkness was deep, profound,
awful.
3. The beauty of this illumination. "The glory of the Lord,' etc. Allusion is
probably made to the Shechinah. God manifestedHimself to His people, and
shone upon them in the glory of His grace and mercy.
4. The source of this illumination. "Thy light is come," etc. It emanatedfrom
a Divine source. It was derived, not inherent. The Church is not the fountain
of light, but the medium of it. It is called "thy light" because it was the

exclusive or peculiar prerogative of the Church. It does not come from the
Church, but is given to it, for its benefit and use.
II. THE PERMANENTOBLIGATION WHICH THE CHURCH INCURS IN
RELATION TO IT. The Church is a Divine institution, raisedup for a
specific purpose. Its work is to teach men the truth of God and to testify of the
grace ofGod. But she sometimes fails fully to realize her obligations,
privileges, prerogatives, and responsibilities. Here she is enjoined —
1. To arise. She must arise from spiritual apathy, lethargy, and obscurity, take
her legitimate position before the world, and faithfully discharge her
obligations. Here is a loud call —
(1)To behold the light, and hail it with joy.
(2)To receive the light.
(3)To utilize the light.
2. To shine. Privilege confers responsibility. Every fresh accessionofspiritual
illumination or powerincreases herinfluence and responsibility. The Church
is a luminous body, and must shine with heavenly lustre.(1)For its own sake
and benefit. It must gladly participate in the light that shines upon it from
above, and be encompassedwith light and glory. It should at all times be
radiant with the beauty of holiness.(2)Forthe sake and benefit of others. Not
only is it to participate in the light, but to become the grand medium and
means of imparting it. Like the reflectorto the lamp, it is to collect, receive,
and reflectits rays for the benefit of those needing its light. How is the Church
to shine? By the beauty of her teaching. By the perfection of her example. By
the purity of her doctrine. By the exemplification of her principles. By the
grandeur of her life. By the vitality of her organizations. By the vigour of her
activity. Like the light in the lighthouse, the light of the Church, in every age,
is to shine conspicuously, constantly, cheerfully, and without fail.
III. THE GRAND PREDICTION WHICH THE CHURCH IS
ULTIMATELY TO REALIZE. "And the Gentiles," etc. This was partially
accomplishedsoonafter the rise of the Church, when thousands of the
Gentiles "walkedin this light." When a few years elapsed, the Roman

Emperor and many other kings ostensiblyopened their eyes to the beams of
light shed on the world by the Church. Large accessions are being made, and
her powerand influence are growing and will extend till the Gospelshall
universally triumph over error, ignorance, and ungodliness.
(J. S. Spilsbury.)
The Church: her functions and her blessedness
A. Smellie, M. A.
I. THE CHURCH HAS THE LARGEST SCOPE.Nations " come to her light,
kings to the brightness of her rising." She is world-wide and universal.
II. THE CHURCH BEARS THE CLEAREST WITNESS. She "arises."She
"shines." Whenshe pulses and palpitates with the life of God, how impressive
is her trumpet-call! It penetrates far. It arouses multitudes.
III. THE CHURCH DOES THE MOST GLORIOUS WORK. "Who are these
that fly to her as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?" Her Lord in her
saves and edifies His sons and daughters, convinces and converts and
comforts.
IV. THE CHURCH ENJOYS THE MOST LASTING BLESSEDNESS.In His
favour her King "has mercy on her." He never fails nor forsakes her. He leads
her members just now in greenpastures and by the waters of quietness. He
will bring them by-and-by to the "Lovely city in a lovely land."
(A. Smellie, M. A.)
The true light of
Homilist.
man: —

I. THE TRUE LIGHT OF MAN IS THE MEDIATORIAL REVELATION
OF GOD (ver. 1).
II. THIS TRUE LIGHT OF MAN WILL ONE DAY BE UNIVERSALLY
DIFFUSED (ver. 3).
III. THE UNIVERSAL DIFFUSION OF THIS LIGHT WILL EFFECTA
WONDERFULREVOLUTION IN THE WORLD (vers. 5-11).
IV. THE PEOPLE WHO, UNDER THIS LIGHT, WILL NOT SERVE THE
TRUE GOD, MUST INEVITABLY BE RUINED (ver. 12).
(Homilist.)
Christ our Light
A. Maclaren, D. D.
Light makes many a surface on which it falls flash, but it is the rays which are
not absorbedthat are reflected in the optics of earth; but in this loftier region
the deviation is not superficialbut inward, and it is the light which is
swallowedup within us that then comes forth from us. Christ will dwell in our
hearts, and we shall be like some poor little diamond-shaped bit of glass in a
cottage window which, when the sun smites it, is visible over miles of the plain.
And if that sun falls upon us, its image will be mirrored in our hearts, and
flashing in our lives. The clouds that lie over the sunset, though in themselves
they be but poor, grey and moist vapour, when smitten by its beneficent
radiance become not unworthy ministers and attendants upon its glory. So it
may be with us, for Christ comes to be our light.
(A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The shining of the common place
Life of Faith.

One summer day, when walking in Surrey, on the slope of a hill — the sun
setting behind me — right awayacross the valley I espieda most remarkable
light. It was more brilliant than electric light, and seemedto rise from the
ground. At first I supposedthat some one had lit a fire with resinous wood
that sparkledand flashed, but there was evidently no smoke. It seemedas
though some angelhad dropped a brilliant star down there upon the ploughed
field, and that it was burning itself out. Finally, on my reaching the spot, I
discoveredthat an old piece of broken glass hadcaught the light of the setting
sun, and was bathed in a supernatural glow. An old piece of bottle-glass — yet
so brilliant — the bottle-glass not being visible, because ofthe light that shone
on it!
(Life of Faith.)
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Arise - Call upon God through Christ, for his salvation; and,
Shine - tliw uoht ,doG nopu llac dna esira uoht llit rof :detanimulli eb ,iro ‫אורי‬
never receive true light.
For thy light is come - ehT .htemoc thgil yht rof,hcero ab ik ‫כי‬ ‫בא‬ ‫אורך‬
Messiahis at the door; who, while he is a light to lighten the Gentiles, will be
the glory - the effulgence, of his people Israel.
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Arise - This is evidently addressedto the church, or to Zion regardedas the
seatof the church. It is representedas having been in a state of affliction and
calamity (compare the notes at Isaiah 3:26; Isaiah52:1-2). She is now called

on to arise from the dust, and to impart to others the rich privileges which
were conferredon her.
Shine - (‫ירוא‬ 'ôrı̂y ). Lowth renders this, ‹Be thou enlightened.‘ Margin, ‹Be
enlightened, for thy light cometh.‘Noyes, ‹Enjoy light.‘ Septuagint Φωτίζου
φωτίζου Phōtizouphōtizou - ‹Be enlightened; be enlightened, O Jerusalem.‘
Herder renders it, ‹Be light.‘ Vitringa regards the expressionas equivalent to
this, ‹pass into a state of light. That is, enjoy light thyself, and impart it freely
to others, Gesenius renders it, ‹Shine, be bright; that is, be surrounded and
resplendent with light.‘ The idea probably is this, ‹rise now from a state of
obscurity and darkness. Enterinto light; enter into times of prosperity.‘ It is
not so much a command to impart light to others as it is to be encompassed
with light and glory. It is the language of prophecy rather than of command; a
call rather to participate in the light that was shining than to impart it to
others. The Septuagint and the Chaldee here add the name ‹Jerusalem,‘and
regard it as addresseddirectly to her.
Thy light is come - On the word ‹light,‘ see the notes at Isaiah58:8, Isaiah
58:10. The light here referred to is evidently that of the gospel;and when the
prophet says that that light ‹is come,‘he throws himself into future times, and
sees in vision the Messiahas having already come, and as pouring the light of
salvationon a darkenedchurch and world (compare the notes at Isaiah 9:2).
And the glory of the Lord - There is refer once here, doubtless, to the
Shechinah or visible splendor which usuallv accompaniedthe manifestations
of God to his people (see the notes at Isaiah 4:5). As Yahweh manifested
himself in visible glory to the Israelites during their journey to the promised
land, so he would manifest himself in the times of the Messiahas the glorious
protectorand guide of his people. The divine characterand perfections would
be manifested like the sun rising over a darkened world.
Is risen upon thee - As the sun rises. The word used here (‫חרז‬ zârach ) is
commonly applied to the rising of the sun Genesis 32:31;Exodus 22:2; 2
Samuel 23:4; Psalm104:22. The comparisonof the gospelto the sun rising
upon a dark world is exceedinglybeautiful, and often occurs in the Bible
(compare Malachi4:2; Luke 1:78, margin.)

Upon thee - Upon thee, in contradistinction from other nations and people.
The gospel shedits first beams of glory on Jerusalem.
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
This chapter begins a discussionof the glorious state of the New Israel, that is,
the Church of Jesus Christ, during the reign of Christ upon this earth, a reign
that beganon the first Pentecostafterthe Resurrectionof the Son of God. For
ages, this has been the acceptedpositionof Christian commentators on this
prophecy. As Lowth expressedit:
"The subject of this chapter is the great increase andflourishing state of the
church of God, by the conversionand accessionto it of the heathen nations;
which is setforth in such ample and exaltedterms as plainly show that, the
full completion of this prophecy is reservedfor future times."[1]
Barnes agreedwith this, and called it, "A description of the Golden Age under
the Messiah,"stating also that, "The description continues to the end of the
next chapter."[2]
Some scholars, ofcourse, disagree. Payne applied it to the nation of Israel,
calling it, "Jerusalem's future glory."[3]Henderson identified the chapter,
"Mainly, with the future glory of the Jews."[4]All such interpreters have
completely overlookedthe "judicial hardening" of Israel(the literal nation)
pronounced, not only by Isaiah, but by Christ himself, and quoted no less than
four times in the New Testament.
Difficult as some of the questions that arise here may be, the traditional
interpretation appears to be absolutely correct.
The light which suddenly bursts upon mankind in this chapter, "Will appear
at a time when the nations dwell in darkness;and, in the midst of that

distressing condition, Jehovahwill arise upon Zion in the personof His Son;
in Christ, the glory of God will be revealed."[5]
We agree with Jamiesonwho declaredthat, "The language is too glorious to
apply to anything that has yet happened;"[6] and this surely fits the
application of some of the things relatedhere to heaven itself. However, there
are actually no words too glorious to apply to the Church of our Lord which
was purchasedwith his own blood, and in which alone, men of Adam's
condemned descendants may be fully restoredto fellowshipwith their
Creator, and attain, at last, to eternal life in heaven. No words are too
wonderful for that!
The division of the chapternaturally fails into five parts, very nearly the same
length each, and which Rawlinsonentitled: "(1) Zion's brightness and
increasednumbers (Isaiah60:1-4); (2) Zion's immense wealth (Isaiah 60:5-9);
(3) Zion's reconstruction(Isaiah60:10-14);(4) Zion's prosperity (Isaiah
60:15-18);and (5) Zion's crowning glories (Isaiah60:19-22)."[7]
The "Zion" of this chapteris by no stretch of imagination the hardened,
blinded, and deluded Israel of the flesh. "Zion" here refers to the New Israel,
the heavenly Jerusalem, whichis our mother, and especiallyto the church of
God in Christ.
Isaiah60:1-3
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah hath risen upon
thee. For, behold, darkness shall coverthe earth, and gross darkness the
peoples;but Jehovahwill arise upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light,
and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come ..." (Isaiah 60:1). "This prophecy received
its highest fulfillment at the coming of Christ, the true Light of the World,
which was followedby a greatingathering of the nations to the church of
God."[8]
We must not be deceivedby the literal language of this chapter, "Which is
that of the Old Testamentordinances and of the literal Jerusalem;it will need

translating into the terms of the `Jerusalemabove' (Galatians 4:26)... and also
of the radiant city of heaven(Revelation21)."[9]
"Darknessshallcoverthe earth ..." (Isaiah60:2). The birth of Christ did
indeed occurat a time of universal spiritual darkness ofthe human race. (1)
The Gentile nations were sunk in the grossestand most shameful idolatry. (2)
The Jewishnation was in no better position, despite their possessionofGod's
Law, which they had formalized and perverted; and by their transgressionof
it dishonored God, leading to the blasphemy of God on their accountby the
whole Gentile world (Romans 2:23-24). (3) The vain philosophy of the Greeks
and Romans provided no relief from the awful darkness ofthat era.
"Nations shallcome to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising ..."
(Isaiah 60:3). The religion of Jesus Christ dispersed the darkness that lay over
the minds of men; and all nations turned to it. From that near-universal
acceptanceofChrist, the whole world was divided into B.C. and A.D.; and the
holy light that came from the face of Christ was the "Star" that createdwhat
men call civilization; and when that Light is obscured, (Which may God
prohibit), what is called "civilization" will disappearfrom the earth!
The mention of "kings" coming to the brightness of the rising of that Light
receiveda tokenfulfillment at the birth of Christ, when the "wise men" from
the East(the "three Kings of Orient") came with gifts of gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh; but the ultimate fulfillment came when the wisest
and greatestofearth believed on Him and receivedhis word.
It should be noted, as Douglas observed, that the vocabulary of this passage is
practically identical with Isaiah9:2.[10] As we shall see, this is a recurring
phenomenon in this chapter, indicating the correctnessofthe title that author
gave his book, "Isaiah One, and His Book One."
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Arise, shine,.... The Targum adds, "O Jerusalem";and so the Septuagint,
Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions; and no doubt but the church of God is
here addressed:and by what follows it seems to be the Jewishchurch, as

distinct from the Gentiles, since they are said to come to it, the Jews, now
converted, and brought into a church state; and who are calledupon to arise
out of their low dejectedstate and condition, in which they have long lain, and
"shine":or to "awake", as someF16render it, out of that sleepand lethargy
they have been so long in, and to shine forth in the exercise ofgrace and
discharge of duty: or to be "enlightened"F17;with the light of Christ and of
the Gospel, now come unto them; and to diffuse this light to others, to hold it
forth in professionand conversation;see Matthew 5:16.
for thy light is come: the Targum,
"for the time of thy redemption is come;'
meaning from the Babylonish captivity, which that paraphrase refers to: but
this is not intended here, but the spiritual prosperity and happiness of the
Jews in the latter day, at the time of their conversion;and the sense is, either
that Christ, the Light of the world, was come unto them in a spiritual way; or
that the glorious light of the Gospelof Christ was come unto them, and shone
upon them; or the time was come that the blindness that had been so long
upon them should be taken oft, and the veil be takenawaythey had been so
long coveredwith, and they be turned to the Lord, the fulness of the Gentiles
now being about to be brought in; see Romans 11:25,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; or the glorious Lord; he, whose
glory is to be seen, as the glory of the only begotten, who is the brightness of
his Father's glory, the sun of righteousness;who shall now, rise upon these,
and, leave a glory upon them that shall be visible.
Geneva Study Bible
Arise, shine; for thy a light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon
thee.
(a) The time of your prosperity and happiness: while speaking ofBabylon, he
commanded her to go down, (Isaiah 47:1).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Isaiah60:1-22. Israel‘s glory after her affliction.
An ode of congratulationto Zion on her restorationat the Lord‘s second
advent to her true position as the mother church from which the Gospelis to
be diffused to the whole Gentile world; the first promulgation of the Gospel
among the Gentiles, beginning at Jerusalem[Luke 24:47 ], is an earnestof
this. The language is too glorious to apply to anything that as yet has
happened.
Arise — from the dust in which thou hast been sitting as a mourning female
captive (Isaiah3:26; Isaiah52:1, Isaiah52:2).
shine — or, “be enlightened; for thy light cometh”;impart to others the
spiritual light now given thee (Isaiah 60:3). The Margin and Gesenius
translate, “Be enlightened”;be resplendent with posterity; imperative for the
future indicative, “Thoushalt be enlightened” (Isaiah 58:8, Isaiah 58:10;
Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 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
(Jeremiah 3:16, Jeremiah3:17).
is risen — as the sun (Malachi4:2; Luke 1:78, Margin).
Keil & DelitzschCommentary on the Old Testament
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 “againsthope
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 ownpreaching, 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, Isaiah 60:1 : “Arise, grow
light; for thy light cometh, and the glory of Jehovah riseth upon thee.” The
appeal so addressedto Zion-Jerusalem, which is regarded(as in Isaiah 49:18;
Isaiah50:1; Isaiah52:1-2; Isaiah54:1) as a woman, and indeed as the mother
of Israel. Here, however, it is regardedas the church redeemedfrom
banishment, and settledonce 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 powerwhich 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 secondword: '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 consolationin the two iambi , ki - bhâ 'ōrēkh
, which affix, as it were, to the acts of Zion the sealof 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. Zârachis the word commonly
applied to the rising of the sun (Malachi 4:2). The sun of suns is Jehovah
(Psalms 84:12), the God who is coming (Isaiah 59:20).
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon
thee.

Arise — A word of encouragementaccommodatedto the Jewish, or Hebrew
style, wherein, as by lying down, is described a servile and calamitous
condition, chap47:1, so by rising, and standing up, a recoveryout of it, into a
free, and prosperous one, as may be seenfrequently; Rouze up, intimating her
deliverance to be at hand. Here under a type, of Jerusalem's restoration, is
displayed the flourishing state of the Gentile - church, under the Messiah.
Thy light — Thy flourishing and prosperous state.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
1.Arise, be bright. He now shows whatis the efficacyof that word of which he
formerly (150)spoke;for he raises up a prostrate and afflicted Church, and
restores her to her brightness; and, because he represents the person of God,
he now declares his authority. Forthis reasonhe employs the form of
command, that the word spokenmight be more efficacious;as if, in the
exercise ofabsolute power, he put the Church in possessionofthat happier
condition which he had promised. The amount of what is said is, that believers
may know that he does not scatterhis words in the air, but speaks with effect.
He bids her “arise,” because he formerly told her to “lie down;” and these two
words stand in contrastwith eachother. Of Babylon he formerly said, “Come
down, sit in the dust.” (Isaiah 47:1) Of the Jews themselves he said, “My
people shall sit in the dust.” On the other hand, he says, “Arise, arise, put on
the garments of thy beauty.” (Isaiah 52:1) Thus, by what may be calledthe
stretching out of his hand, he lifts up the Church again, that she who had
formerly been prostrated, and coveredall over with filth and pollution, may
regainher seat of honor.
For thy brightness is come. That the darkness ofafflictions may not
overwhelm the Jews with despair, he says that the light which had been
hidden would soonafterwards arise, alluding to the alternationof day and
night. As if he had said, “The Lord, having compassionupon thee, will rescue
thee out of this darkness in which thou liest; thou hast been sufficiently

punished; it is time that thy condition should begin to be improved.” By the
word brightness, therefore, he metaphorically denotes salvationand
prosperity, as by “darkness”he formerly denoted a calamitous state of the
Church.
The glory of Jehovah. He mentions at the same that this light will arise from
no other quarter than from God’s smiling countenance, whenhe shall be
pleasedto display his grace;for everything goes wellwhen the Lord shines
upon us by his light; and, when he turns awayfrom us, nothing that canbefall
us is more wretchedand unhappy.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
Isaiah60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is
risen upon thee.
Ver. 1. Arise.] Thou, O my Church, that now liest in pulvere vastitatis, as a
forlorn captive, rouse up thyself, change both thy countenance and condition;
Tanquam libera ac laeta ad novum nuncium; up, and look up, I have joyful
tidings for thee.
For thy light is come.]Christ, who is αυτοφως -light essential. [John 12:46]
And, the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.]The glorious gospelof grace. [2
Corinthians 3:7; 2 Corinthians 4:4]
Hawker's PoorMan's Commentary
CONTENTS
God the Holy Ghostis here celebrating the glory and praise of Christ, and his
Church in him; and showing what a vast accessionofredeemed souls shall
pour into the Redeemer's kingdom in the latter-day glory.

Sermon Bible Commentary
Isaiah60:1
Taking these words into the full illumination of Christianity, they express,
very beautifully, the awakening ofa man to his true work in the world. It is
because the "glory of the Lord has risen upon him," that the Christian is able
to reflect the light which has entered his soul.
Notice:—
I. The dawning of the light: "Thy light has come." Man is not in a world of
darkness, but blind in a world of light. All he needs is the opening of the
spiritual eye, that the light may be seen. Our little life is enveloped by the
spiritual world. Behind the appearance of earth, beyond the waste and decay
of these frail bodies, it stands for everin unclouded splendour. When the soul
is born again, it seems as if the curtains of night were suddenly withdrawn,
and the whole spiritual universe flashed in a moment into day; because until
the dark veil of the carnal was dissolvedthe soul had been blinded to the
invisible. There are three requisites for the dawning of the light—three stages
in the history of the soul's enlightenment: (1) spiritual penitence; (2) spiritual
love; (3) spiritual prayer.
II. The awakening call. "Arise, shine." Thatsummons is the inevitable result
of the dawning of the light. When God is felt to be near a man thus—in
penitence, love, and prayer—that man is imperatively bound to reflectthe
glory which has risen in his heart; to bear witness of the light which has
pierced and transformed his soul. This is basedon a greatprinciple, viz., the
deepestemotion in a man's nature must reveal itself in his life. There is no
such thing as a life-long hypocrisy: sooneror later the master-passionwithin a
man will glow to a red-heat, and he will stand transparent before the eye of
the world. When God enters the soul, it shines unconsciously, and men feel its
secretcharm. The glory of the Lord manifests itself in life. (1) In the majesty
of holiness. Christian separatenessis not external nonconformity. It is being in
the world and yet above it, having saintly separatenessofsoul amidst all the
duties 6f life, making men feelthat your inner life is apart from the business
of the world, that your heart is in eternity. (2) In the beauty of unselfishness.

The life of God is the life of the cross in the heart. (3) In the earnestnessof
your efforts for men.
E. L. Hull, Sermons, 1st series, p. 70.
The glory of the Christian Church.
I. That this and other similar prophecies had their measure of fulfilment when
Christ came we all know; when His Church, built upon the apostles and
prophets, wonderfully branched out from Jerusalemas a centre into the
heathen world round about, and gathering into it men of all ranks, languages,
and characters,moulded them upon one pattern, the pattern of their Saviour,
in truth and righteousness. Thus the prophecies concerning the Church were
fulfilled at that time in two respects—its sanctityand its catholicity. It is often
asked, Have these prophecies had then and since then perfect
accomplishment? Or are we to expect a more complete Christianising of the
world than has hitherto been vouchsafedit? Consider the state and prospects
of the Christian Church in this respect.
II. Whereas Godis one and His will one, and His purpose one and His work
one—whereasallHe is and does is absolutelyperfect and complete,
independent of time and place and sovereignovercreation—yetin His actual
dealings with this world, that is, in all in which we see His providence, He
seems to work by a process, by means and ends, by steps, by victories hardly
gained and failures repaired and sacrifices ventured. Thus it is only when we
view His dispensations ata distance, as the angels do, that we see their
harmony and their unity; whereas Scripture, anticipating the end from the
beginning, places at their very head and first point of origination all that
belongs to them respectivelyin their fulness.
III. The Christian Church had in the day of its nativity all that fulness of
holiness and peace named upon it, and sealedup to it, which beseemedit
viewed as God's design—viewedin its essence, as it is realisedat all times and
under all circumstances—viewedas God's work without man's co-
operation—viewedas God's work in its tendency and in its ultimate

blessedness;so that the titles given it on earth are a picture of what it will be
absolutely in heaven. The same interpretation will apply to the Scripture
accountof the electpeople of God, which is but the Church of Christ under
another name. In their electionare sealedup, to be enrolled and enjoyedin
due season, the successiveprivileges of the heirs of light. In God's purpose—
according to His grace, in the tendency and ultimate effects of His
dispensation—to be calledand chosenis to be saved. For God's providence
moves by greatand comprehensive laws;and His word is the mirror of His
designs, not of man's partial successin thwarting His gracious will.
IV. It is our duty to walk by faith; therefore we will take the promises in faith;
we will believe they are fulfilled, and enjoy the fruit of them before we see it.
We will unlearn the expectationof any public display of God's glory in the
edification of His Church, seeing she is all glorious within, in that inward
shrine, made up of faithful hearts, and inhabited by the Spirit of grace.
J. H. Newman, Parochialand Plain Sermons, vol. ii., p. 79.
I. Notice the tidings announced in the text: "Thy light is come." Thatlanguage
is very significant when we remember that Jesus saidof Himself at the
beginning of His public ministry, "I am the Light of the world."
II. While Jesus Christ, the true Light, "shines in the darkness,"and the
darkness does not receive it, it is His body, the Church, and not the
unbelieving world, which is lighted up at His glorious appearing. Accordingly,
the prophet, in the text, says of Zion and of her only, "Thy light is come."
III. The glad announcement made to Zion was designedto exert a practical
effecton the daily conduct of her children. "Arise, shine." Christians are
reminded that, if faithful to their holy calling, they will "shine as lights in the
world."
J. N. Norton, Old Paths, p. 73.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
Isaiah60:1. Arise, shine— "Arise from your state of darkness and mourning,
and enter into a state of light and happiness; that thou mayest be able to
enlighten others: shew thy native beauty; suffer thyself to be so strongly
illuminated by the glory of the Lord, that thou mayestbe a light to others."
For this is what is soonafter added; and the Gentiles shall walk in thy light.
See 1 Peter4:4. Jesus Christ, the eternal Sonof God, is the author and
procurer of all light, happiness, and salvationto his church.
Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae
DISCOURSE:999
OUR DUTY ARISING FROM THE ADVENT OF CHRIST
Isaiah60:1.—Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is
risen upon thee.
THE prophetic style is wonderfully sublime: its figures are so bold, its
transitions so quick, its descriptions so animated, that all the most admired
compositions of Greece andRome sink in our estimation when compared with
the sacredoracles. The writings of Isaiah in particular justify this remark;
and both the chapter, and the very words, before us, are worthy of notice in
this view. The prophet had just foretold the advent of the Redeemer[Note:
Isaiah59:20. That the passagerefers to Christ, and not merely to the
deliverance of the Jews from Babylon, will be seenby comparing Isaiah9:2.
with Matthew 4:16.]; and instantly, passing over an interval of sevenor eight
hundred years, he sees his prediction, as it were, accomplished;and calls upon
the Church, in terms of joyful congratulation, to approve itself worthy of so
greata blessing—
In discoursing on his words we shall consider,
I. The tidings here announced—
Christ is the fountain of light to the whole universe—

[He is “the Lord” Jehovah, “in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead.”
Though as the Son of man, he laboured under all the sinless infirmities of our
nature; yet, as the Son of God, he was “the brightness of his Father’s glory,
and the express image of his person.” From him proceeds a lustre, as from the
sun in the firmament; but though “he shines in the darkness, the darkness
does not apprehend his light [Note:John 1:5.].” It is the Church alone that
truly receives him. That, like Goshenin the midst of Egypt, is light, whilst all
around it is in gross darkness [Note:Exodus 9:26; Exodus 10:21-23.]. If any
have the Light of his word, they cannot profit by it, unless their eyes be
opened by his goodSpirit. Hence the prophet, speaking of him to the Church,
says emphatically, “Thy light is come.”]
This light is risen upon the Church of God—
[Under the Jewishdispensation“the day began, as it were, to dawn; and in the
hearts of some the day-star had arisen [Note:2 Peter1:19.].” But at the
incarnation of Christ, and in the days of his ministration upon earth, the sun
arose above the horizon. In the apostolic age itshone in its meridian
splendour; and, through the goodnessofGod, it has at last visited these
distant regions [Note:Malachi4:2. Luke 1:78-79.]. In some respects it shines
clearerupon us than even on the Apostles themselves;since they, for several
years after our Lord’s ascension, did not see that the partition-wall between
Jews and Gentiles was to be broken down: whereas we, who are Gentiles, not
only know this truth, but are “graffedon that stock, from which the Jews
themselves have been broken off.”]
These tidings are indeed joyful: but, that they are to have a practicaleffect
upon us, we see by,
II. The exhortation grounded upon them—
In the margin of our Bibles the word “shine” is translated“be enlightened.”
This translation suggestsso important a thought, a thought so naturally
arising from the tidings announced, that we may wellgive it a distinguished
place in this part of our subject. The exhortation may then be consideredas
two-fold;

1. “Arise, and be enlightened”—
[Notwithstanding “the true light now shines,” the greaterpart even of the
Christian world are coveredwith gross darkness [Note:ver. 2.]. We setbefore
them the light, but they “love darkness rather than light,” and desire that we
would “make the Holy One of Israelto cease from before them [Note: John
3:19. Isaiah30:11.].” But we should come forth from our dungeons, and
behold the Sun of Righteousness[Note:Isaiah 49:9.]. We should beg of Godto
bring us “out of darkness into his marvellous light [Note: 1 Peter2:9.],” and
to “shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge ofhis glory in
the face of Jesus Christ[Note: 2 Corinthians 4:6.].” If we continue blind it is
our own fault: we take part with SatanagainstChrist, and, as the recompense
of our wickedness, “the godof this world is permitted to blind us [Note:2
Corinthians 4:4.],” and we are given over to a delusion to believe a lie [Note: 2
Thessalonians 2:11.]. Since then “the day-spring from on high hath visited
us,” let us no longer “sit in darkness and the shadow of death,” but improve
the mercies we enjoy, that “our feetmay be guided into the wayof peace.”]
2. “Arise, and shine”—
[The sun in the firmament irradiates the stars, which shine with a lustre
derived from him. Thus we are also to “shine as lights in the world [Note:
Philippians 2:15.],” and, to reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness. As the
face of Moses,whencome down from the mount, shone, so that the children of
Israelcould not steadfastlybehold him [Note: 2 Corinthians 3:13.], so should
all of us, though with a less dazzling lustre, shine in our proper orbit. The
stars indeed canshine only when the sun is withdrawn; but the brighter the
Lord Jesus shines, the more shall we reflecthis image. Let us then “walk in
the light as God is in the light [Note:1 John 1:7.];” and let “our path be as the
shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day [Note:
Proverbs 4:18.].]
Address—
1. Those who, though living in the midst of the light, have never yet seenit—

[Such are without excuse. Godwould “make the scalesto fall from our eves,”
if we would but callupon him. But our rejection of the light will be the
occasionofour more aggravatedcondemnation. “If Christ had not come and
spokenunto us we had not had sin; but now we have no cloak for our sin
[Note:John 9:41; John 15:22.].” Let us then cry to him, like those of old,
“Lord, open my eyes.” Thenshall we no longerwalk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life [Note: John 8:12. Ephesians 5:14.].]
2. Those who, though they have had some views of Christ, are yet in
darkness—
[The sun in the heavens is sometimes obscuredby intervening clouds: thus
also “the Sun of Righteousness”is sometimes veiled; and we are left to walk
many days without any cheering views of his countenance. If this be the case
with us, let us tarry his leisure, and wait patiently for his return. Let us not
say, “My sun is set to rise no more;” but rather, “When I sit in darkness, the
Lord will be a light unto me [Note:Micah 7:7-9.].” Thus in his light you shall
see light [Note:Psalms 36:9.]; “the light that is sownfor you shall in due time
spring up [Note:Psalms 97:11.];” yea, your light shall rise in obscurity, and
your darkness be as the noon-day [Note:Isaiah 58:10.].]
3. Those who are enjoying the light of the Redeemer’s countenance—
[Jesus is the light and glory, not of the church militant only, but also of the
church triumphant [Note:Revelation21:23-24.]:and to “behold his glory as
the glory of the only-begottenof the Father [Note:John 1:14.]” is an
anticipation and foretaste ofheaven itself. “In his favour is life; and his
loving-kindness is better than life itself.” Let the enjoyment then of so rich a
mercy stir you up to glorify his name; that so, while you behold his glory, you
yourselves may be changedinto his image from glory to glory [Note: 2
Corinthians 3:18.], and, by making your light to shine before men, may stir up
others to glorify him also [Note:Matthew 5:16.].]
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible

ISAIAH CHAPTER 60
The glory and blessings ofthe new church after a short affliction.
Arise; a word of encouragementaccommodatedto the Jewishor Hebrew
style, wherein, as by lying down is described a servile and calamitous
condition, Isaiah 47:1; so by rising, and standing up, a recovery out of it into a
free and prosperous one, as may be seenfrequently. Rouse up; intimating her
deliverance to be at hand. And here under a type, or hieroglyphical
description of Jerusalem’s restoration, is displayed the flourishing state of the
Gentile church under the Messiah, and that in the greatness, forquality, and
also the number of her proselytes;in the description whereofthe evangelical
prophet, whateverhe doth in other parts of his prophecy, doth here most
briskly sparkle forth in Divine eloquence. Shine; discoverthyself as one
breaking forth from a dark night; or, look out, as men do at sea, who use to
look out sharp, to see whatthey can discoverafter a dark and stormy season;
or, be enlightened with more knowledge;or, be thou filled with joy; a
metaphoricalmetonymy of the efficient; as thou art about to change thy
condition, change thy countenance;be cheerful in that light or salvationthat
is approaching. Thy light; either,
1. Thy flourishing and prosperous estate;an allusion to people’s rising, when
after a dark night the light breaks forth. they begin to rise. Or,
2. The causerof thy light, the effectfor the efficient, viz. thy God, or Christ,
because the fountain of all happiness, as the sun and moon are calledlights,
because they give light, Genesis 1:16. Thus Christ is calledthe true Light,
John 1:9; and compare John 8:12, with Ephesians 5:14, and you will find
these words quoted to that purpose. The glory of the Lord, i.e. the greatest
glory, as the cedars ofGod, the mountains of God, &c.: compare Revelation
21:11:or, the glorious Lord, or the Lord of glory, or Christ, who is the glory
of the Father, is come unto thee; he is at hand to make himself glorious in
some wonderful work for thy salvation, either in his doctrine, or miracles, or
work of redemption, that his glory may rest upon thee, suitable to the
psalmist’s prayer, Psalms 85:6,7,9. Is risen; like as when the sun spreads itself

into every place, leaving none dark: thus it refers to the glorious gospel, called
such a glorious light, 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
1. Arise — The chapter opens with an animating address to the delivered
children of God.
Shine — The image is a sunrise scene. The night, long and dismal, has
brooded, but now gradually ends.
Thy light is come — The tops of the mountains (Isaiah2:1-5; Micah4:1) are
gilded, and are seenby the prophet, though far back in time.
Glory of the Lord… risen upon thee — That is, upon Zion-Jerusalem. The
light falls upon her, not for her sake alone, but for all man-kind. This vision is
welcome recompensefor the darkness hitherto. (See Isaiah58, 59.) Zion is to
have the first view of the new day.
Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
God had calledIsraelto be a light to the nations ( Isaiah 43:10), but presently
she was darkness ( Isaiah56:9 to Isaiah 57:13;Isaiah59:1-15 a). The Lord
had promised that He would enable His people to fulfill their calling ( Isaiah
57:14-21;Isaiah 59:15-21). Now Isaiahsummoned the nation to rise up and
shine because her light had arrived (cf. Isaiah 51:17;Isaiah 52:1). God"s
glory, rather than His discipline, will rise as the sun upon her. Like a city
gleaming in the light of the risen sun, Israel will shine with a glory that is not
her own. God will not share His glory with false gods ( Isaiah 42:8; Isaiah
48:11), but He will share it with His people through His Servant ( Isaiah
11:10;Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah43:7; John 1:14; John 17:4; John 17:22; Romans
8:17; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Peter4:13-14).

The first coming of Christ anticipated the dawning of a new day for Israel, but
His secondcoming will see the fulfillment of these prophecies of Israel"s
glorification(cf. Revelation2:28; Revelation22:16).
JosephBenson's Commentaryof the Old and New Testaments
Isaiah60:1. Arise, &c. — The prophet here addresses the church of God,
which he supposes to be sitting sorrowful, and exhorts her to awakeand arise
from a state of darkness and mourning, and enter into a state of light and
happiness, “now that her salvation, so long desired and hoped for, is at hand,
and the divine glory is about to rise upon her, and illuminate the nations and
people who had hitherto sat in thick darkness.” SeeVitringa. The readerwill
observe the exhortation is accommodatedto the Jewishor Hebrew style,
wherein, as by lying down is signified a servile and calamitous condition,
(Isaiah 47:1,)so, by rising, and standing up, a recoveryout of it into a free and
prosperous state, as may be seenfrequently. Shine — Discoverthyself, as a
luminary breaking forth from a dark night. Show thy native beauty: suffer
thyself to be so strongly irradiated by the glory of the Lord, that thou mayest
not only be enlightened, but mayest be able to enlighten others. For thy light is
come — Thy flourishing and prosperous condition, an allusion to people’s
rising, when after a dark night the light breaks forth upon them. And the
glory of the Lord — Glorious light, grace, and salvationfrom the Lord; or a
bright display of the glory, that is, of the glorious attributes of the Lord; or,
the Lord of glory, Christ, is about to make himself glorious, in some
wonderful work, for thy salvation. Is risen upon thee — Like as when the sun,
arising, spreads his light everywhere, leaving no place dark. Thus shall the
church of God be fully illuminated in the latter days, and thus shall she shine
for the perfect illumination of all flesh: see Isaiah11:9; and Zechariah14:7. In
his descriptionof this perfect state of the Christian Church, this evangelical
prophet is here peculiarly eloquent, displaying it “in the most splendid
colours, and under a greatvariety of images, highly poetical, designedto give
a generalidea of its glories, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and

the Jews shallbe convertedand gatheredfrom their dispersions, and the
kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God, and of his
Christ.” — Bishop Lowth.
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
O Jerusalem, is not in Hebrew or St. Jerome, but in the Septuagint. Some few
things may refer to the terrestrial Jerusalem, though the prophet speaks
chiefly of the celestialand of the Church. --- Lord, very great. Christ came to
save us. (Calmet) --- God prevents by his grace, but man must co-operate to
be justified. (Worthington)
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
Arise. Compare Isaiah 51:9, Isaiah 51:17, "awake";Isaiah 52:2, "awake";
Isaiah60:1, "arise";and contrastthe cry to Babylon (Isaiah 47:1), "come
down, sit in the dust". See App-82. This refers to the future.
shine. Compare 2 Samuel 23:4.
thy light: i.e. Israel"s glory.
the glory of the LORD. Hebrew. kabod. See Isaiah4:2, Isaiah4:5; Isaiah 6:3;
Isaiah35:2; Isaiah40:5; Isaiah 58:8; and Isaiah60:2 here. Compare Psalms
106:20. Jeremiah2:11. Haggai2:3, Haggai2:7, Haggai2:9.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
thee.
An ode of congratulationto Zion on her restoration, atthe Lord's second
advent, to her true position as the mother Church, from which the Gospelis to

be diffused to the whole Gentile world. The first promulgation of the Gospel
among the Gentiles, beginning at Jerusalem, is an earnestof this. The
language is too glorious to apply to anything that as yet has happened.
Arise - from the dust in which thou hast been sitting as a mourning female
captive (Isaiah3:26; Isaiah52:1-2). The Chaldaic, Septuagint, Vulgate, and
Arabic, all insert 'Jerusalem,'showing that they applied the prophecy to her.
Shine - impart to others the spiritual light now given thee (Isaiah 60:3).
Margin and Gesenius translate, afterthe Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldaic, and
Arabic (Hebrew, 'owriy (Hebrew #215)), 'Be enlightened;' be resplendent with
prosperity: imperative for the future indicative (as the Hebrew idiom, when it
joins two imperatives, understands the latter of the two as a future, resulting
from the former), 'thou shalt be enlightened' (Isaiah 58:8; Isaiah58:10;
Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:14). The Syriac supports the English version.
Glory of the Lord - not merely the Shechinah, or cloud of glory, such as rested
above the ark in the old dispensation, but the glory of the Lord in person
(Jeremiah 3:16-17).
Is risen upon thee - as the sun, (Malachi 4:2; Luke 1:78, margin.)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
LX.
(1) Arise, shine . . .—The description of the redeemedZion—i.e., the new
Jerusalem—seenin the prophet’s vision as under the forms of the old. She has
been prostrate, as in the darkness of Sheol(as in Isaiah 51:23;Isaiah 57:9).
The word comes that bids her rise to a new life, radiant with the glory of the
Lord. In Ephesians 5:14 we have, perhaps, an echo, though not a quotation, of
the prophet’s words.
Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge

thee.
Arise
52:1,2;Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 5:8,14;Philippians 2:15
shine; for thy light is come
or, be enlightened, for thy light cometh.
19,20;9:2; Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:78,79;John 1:9; 3:19; 8:12; 12:46;
Ephesians 5:8; Revelation21:23; 22:5
the glory
Malachi4:2; Luke 2:32; 1 Peter4:14
END OF STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Isaiah60:1-3
The Light in Our Darkness
PastorVince Gerhardy
Sometimes darkness is preferred overand above the bright light of day:
• Having a candle light dinner in a darkened room has a specialappealand
romance.
• Going to see a movie at the theatre only works if the theatre is dark.

• Some people can’t sleepunless curtains block out all light and their bedroom
is completely dark.
Sometimes the phrase “in the dark” might be used to indicate that we are
confused, don’t understand, unclear, bamboozled. An example.
Someone tells a story. And at the end of the story everyone burst into
uncontrolled laughter – everyone, that is, exceptyou. For the life of you, you
can’t see what was so funny. You are confused. Why does everyone think the
story to be so humorous? You are “in the dark” so to say, and it isn’t until
someone explains (or throws some light on) the punch line that you finally get
it.
In the Bible and in literature generally darkness is associatedwith things that
are evil and with death. Under the coverof darkness many crimes are
committed. We think of many acts of cruelty and violence as coming from our
dark side. Deathis describedas something dark and sinister.
It is always the bad guys in movies who wearblack to symbolise their dark
deeds (Darth Vadar in Star Wars or The dark land of Mordor in Lord of the
Rings)
On a dark night, some years ago, the lights went out in a major American city.
There was a huge power failure. The whole city was shrouded in darkness. It’s
not as if there hadn’t been blackouts before. But this one affecteda wider area
and it lastedlonger. In fact, as I recall, it actually lasted a few days.
By the secondnight, still without power and lights, the people started looting.
Smashing shop windows, walking awaywith TV sets and toasters andstereo
systems. Whateverthey could lay their hands on.
In the dark businesses were practicallydestroyed, not by hardened criminals,
but by neighbours, by ordinary people who lived up the road, by normally law
abiding people. In the dark, greedtook over.
Darkness canalso referto people whose circumstancesin life are any thing
but bright, positive and optimistic. This kind of darkness differs from one
person to the next. The darkness may be poverty, hunger and homelessness.

It may be the hopelessness ofa mother as she watches her child’s life slowly
fading awaybecause ofa lack basic food, clean waterand health care.
To a child in a war torn country, the darkness is armed men plundering,
killing, raping. They are afraid that they will be abused, forcedto join the
ranks of the child soldiers, or be killed.
To those who have been affectedby the tsunami this past week, darknessis
having loved ones and everything you own sweptawayby a torrent of water.
The darkness is not knowing what has happened to a family member –
whether he/she is alive or dead.
For another persondarkness is struggling with an illness, the aches and pains
of old age, losing the struggle with failing abilities and entering a nursing
home. For some darkness is the inevitable day when they lose a loved one
through death.
Whateveris your temptation – that is your darkness. Hatred. Greed. Not
caring how your actions affectothers. Alcohol abuse. Selfishness. All the
things that Satan, the prince of darkness, brings into our lives.
Make no mistake there is darkness inside us. It is the darkness of sin.
How does darkness manifestitself in your life?
What outward words and actions you know are not what God wants from his
people, yet they keepon cropping up.
In fact, sometimes the darkness canbecome so thick that we have difficult
seeing the mess that sin has made of our lives. There are so many people in
our community who live in darkness and don’t even realise it.
There is an old story about a desertnomad who woke up in the middle of the
night feeling very hungry. He lit a candle and began eating dates from a bowl
beside his bed. He took a bite from one and saw a worm in it; so he threw it
out of the tent. He bit into the seconddate, found another worm, and threw it

awayalso. Reasoning that he wouldn’t have any dates left to eatif he
continued, he blew out the candle and quickly ate the rest of the dates.
Some times people prefer the darkness, becausein the light they see too much.
They continue in their old ways, because they don’t like having a light shine
on them that will show that their relationship with God is in a terrible state
and they are in serious trouble. [John’s gospelsays, “This is the judgment,
that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather
than the light; for their works were evil” (John 3:19).]
The Old Testamenttext today from Isaiah reminds us that a new light has
come from the Lord. It is shining on all people. This new light chases awayall
shadows and darkness. The closerthis light comes to them, the more they will
see the darkness in their lives and the more they will feelits warmth and
comfort.
The closerthis light comes to them, the more others will be able to see the
light that is shining through them.
Isaiahis talking about people from all nations being drawn from the darkness
to the light. The prophet says, “Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall
your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the
days of your mourning shall be ended” (Isaiah 60:20).
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the
darkness”(John8:12). The prophecies of the Old Testamenthave been
fulfilled. What an impact Christ the light has had on the darkness in our lives
and in the world!
Jesus is the Light. This light exposes those dark private corners of our lives
that we prefer to keephidden. Everything is not as neat and tidy as we
thought. There is a mess that needs to be cleanedup, and even though we have
tried to hide the mess in the darkestand most private corner of our lives, the
light of Jesus has shown us that there is dirt piled up there that needs cleaning
out.
• Our temptations and secretsins,

• those faults that we would prefer not to admit to,
• the poor way we have treated the people we love,
• the selfishattitude that we have nurtured,
• the times we have preferred to look the other way than offer a helping hand.
The Light, Jesus, has come into the world:
• not to bring condemnation, but to bring salvation,
• not to rub our noses in the dirt of those dark corners,
• but to sweepthem out, to bring healing and reconciliation.
This light is freely yours.
Bask in the beauty and warmth of the sun – the Son of God.”
Jesus is the real light, the genuine light who changes things.
• He is forgiveness.
• He is hope.
• He is encouragement.
• He is a word of love.
• He is strength.
• He is what you need to lighten your personaldarkness.
• He is light to every person who has need of super-human strength to see
through the darkness oftrouble and sickness.
• He is the light who guides us along life’s journey when we have more
questions than we have answers.
• He is the light that dispels the darkness of guilt with his forgiveness and the
darkness of fearwhen we take our lastbreath. He is the light of life, eternal
life.

In whatever waythe darkness shows itselfin our lives, Christ has come to be a
light for us.
Wherever there is darkness in our family, in our friendships, in our
community, Christ has come to shed light on all those areas ofour lives to
restore peace and harmony and joy.
Wherever there is darkness in our nation or in the world at large, Christ has
commanded us to let our light shine before men, to use whatevermeans we
have at our disposalto relieve the suffering of others and drive out the
darkness that shrouds the lives of so many. We are to let the light of Christ
shine through us so that the darkness of despair and hopelessnessmight be
dispelled.
It is clearthat a darkness has come across many places in our region of the
world because ofthe tsunami. We were powerless to stop the earthquake and
the subsequenttidal wave that causedso much destruction. Darkness has
filled the lives of so many, but it is now our job as those who have the light of
Christ in our lives to let that light shine into the darkness to give hope,
encouragement, the means to avoid sickness andmore deaths. Jesus says to us,
“You are light for the whole world…. A city locatedon a hill can’t be hidden.
Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a
stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine
before men; that they may see your goodworks, and glorify your Father who
is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
During a severe outbreak of influenza that had claimed the lives of many
people, all public gathering places in one town were ordered closedin order to
stem the spreadof the disease. This included churches. Yet more than ever, it
was then that people needed hope and consolation.
Burdened by his inability to reachout to people in their time of need, one
resourcefulpastorthought of his church’s magnificent stained glass windows.
Those windows faceda main streetand many people passedby the church
everyday.

The pastorhad numerous floodlights placed inside the church; the light
shining through the glass to the outside world gave passers-bythe full effectof
the windows’story.
There for all to see were the timeless portrayals of Jesus:
• Jesus the goodshepherd carrying a lamb;
• Jesus the searching Saviourrescuing the lone lost sheepwhile the ninety-
nine restedsafely in the fold;
• Jesus praying in Gethsemane;
• Jesus on the cross;
• Jesus risen from the dead.
• These windows were silent sermons of light and stained glass.
People who passedby the church would stop reverently, silently. They found
themselves filled with new determination and encouragement. In the darkness
that filled their lives the light streaming from those windows the words of
Isaiahtook on new meaning, “Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall
your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the
days of your mourning shall be ended” (Isaiah 60:20).
When the wisemenbowed before Jesus they realisedthat the brilliance of the
star they had followed was nothing compared to the light that God has sent at
Christmas. Jesus is the one who will meet you in your deepestdarkness,
whateverthat darkness is for you.
His love never changes.
In his light, we find the strength to carry on.
In his light, the darkness around us and in the lives of others is replacedwith
hope, love, and forgiveness.
Scripture quotations from the World English Bible.
© 2005, PastorVince Gerhardy. Used by permission.

All Rights Reserved| © 1997-2018 RichardNiellDonovan
Isaiah60:1-6
EXEGESIS:
ISAIAH 60-62:THE CONTEXT
These three chapters promise greatthings to the people of Jerusalemand
record the rejoicing that they will experience upon the fulfillment of those
promises. They constitute an optimistic, joyful unit. A number of themes, such
as light, righteousness, salvation, and joy are repeatedthroughout the
chapters.
The former exiles have returned to Jerusalemafter a lengthy exile that
challengedtheir faith in Yahweh. Cyrus of Persia has defeatedthe
Babylonians and instituted a new policy. Instead of subjugating Jewishexiles,
Cyrus allows them to return to Jerusalemand even provides funds to finance
the rebuilding of the temple.
However, upon their return, the former exiles find that Yahweh, who made
their return possible, has not seenfit to make their task easy. The books of
Ezra and Nehemiahtell the story of the restorationof Jerusalemand the
temple. The returned exiles experiencedoppositionfrom localpeople and the
project ground to a halt (Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4-5).
These new obstacles createda crisis of faith, just as the exile did. Yes, Yahweh
has made it possible for them to escape theirbondage in Babylonia, just as
Yahweh earlier made it possible for their ancestors to escape slaveryin Egypt.
However, just as the earlier Israelites grumbled and doubted when they
experiencedobstacles in the wilderness, so also these former exiles are
experiencing obstacles thatcreate a similar crisis of faith for them. Yahweh
has allowedthem to return to Jerusalem, but has permitted opponents to dog
them at every turn. Is Yahweh powerless to achieve what he promised? Is

Yahweh faithful—will he keephis promises? Has Yahweh given up and
abandoned them?
SecondIsaiahdealt with these same questions while the people were still in
exile (see 50:2). Yahweh is a passionate Godwho is in travail as he labors to
achieve his goals (42:14). He is not like the powerless Babyloniangods, who
are made of wood. More to the point, Yahweh is committed to the restoration
of the people. He said, “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak
comfortably to Jerusalem;and call out to her that her warfare is
accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has receivedof
Yahweh’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2).
Now Third Isaiah, addressing people who are no longerexiles, addresses those
same issues—answers the same questions. Chapters 56-59 outline the sins of
the pastand present, but the mood shifts at the end of chapter 59 as the
prophet announces, “A Redeemerwill come to Zion, and to those who turn
from disobedience in Jacob” (59:20). Yahwehpromises, “As for me, this is my
covenantwith them,” says Yahweh. “My Spirit who is on you, and my words
which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out
of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says
Yahweh, “from henceforth and forever” (59:21).
The mood of chapters 60-62, then, turns joyful. Chapter 60 starts with a call
to “Arise, shine; for your light has come” (60:1). It promises that:
• “Nations (Gentiles)shall come to your light” (60:3).
• The people will enjoy prosperity and well-being.
•”Foreigners shallbuild up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you”
(60:10)—and“that men (shall) bring to you the wealthof the nations”
(60:11)—andthe nations that refuse to serve Judah “shallperish” (60:12).
• “Whereas youhave been forsaken andhated, so that no man passedthrough
you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations” (60:15).
It promises that “Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God
your glory” (60:19).

60:1-6 is the traditional Old Testament reading for Epiphany because ofits
emphasis on the nations (Gentiles) bringing wealthto Jerusalem—and
because ofthe mention of camels and gold and frankincense in verse 6 which
makes it an especiallygoodpairing with the story of the Wise Men in
Matthew 2:1-12, the traditional Gospelreading for Epiphany.
ISAIAH 60:1-2. ARISE, SHINE; FOR YOUR LIGHT HAS COME
1Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh is risen on
you. 2For, behold, darkness shall coverthe earth, and gross darkness the
peoples;but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seenon you.
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh is risen on
you” (v. 1). The people of Jerusalemhave suffered through the darkness ofa
lengthy exile—and a difficult return to a Jerusalemthat lay in ruins—and
neighbors opposedto the rebuilding of the city and the temple. They have
been beaten down by circumstances—circumstancesbrought upon them by
their sin—circumstances thatconstituted God’s judgment. However, Godhas
not punished them to destroy them, but to redeem them. Now the time of their
redemption has come, and it is time for them to receive it. They have been
living in the darkness of despair, but their “light has come”—”the gloryof
Yahweh is risen on” them. That light is Yahweh, who has seemedso absent
for so long.
To receive the gift of their redemption, they must arise—lift themselves
physically, emotionally, and spiritually to begin the work that Yahweh has set
before them. After arising, they are to shine—to reflectthe light of Yahweh’s
glory both inside and outside their community—to bear witness to the light
that has begun, once again, to enrich their lives.
There is a parallelismhere between“light” and “glory.” The glory of the Lord
is “often associatedwith brightness or splendor in theophanies” (divine
appearances)(Myers, 420).
“For, behold, darkness shallcover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples;
but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seenon you” (v. 2). The
exiles experiencedspiritual darkness in their lengthy exile, but now the great

reversalhas begun. It will be “the peoples” (Gentiles)who will be enveloped in
“thick darkness,” and the former exiles who will experience the light of
Yahweh’s glory. We are reminded of an earlierverse, “The people who
walkedin darkness have seena greatlight. Those who lived in the land of the
shadow of death, on them the light has shined” (9:2).
ISAIAH 60:3. NATIONS SHALL COME TO YOUR LIGHT
3Nations shallcome to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
This verse brings to mind the Wise Men from the Eastwho came following the
star to the place of Jesus’birth (Matthew 2:1-12).
We should also briefly recaphere the story of the return of the exiles to
Jerusalem. Thatstory began with King Cyrus of Persia, who defeatedthe
Babylonians and led Persia to become the dominant power in the region.
“Yahwehstirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom” to proclaim the king’s edict (Ezra
1:1).
In that edict, Cyrus acknowledgedthat the Lord chargedhim to rebuild the
temple in Jerusalem(Ezra 2:2). Therefore, he gave permissionto the exiles to
return to Jerusalem, and commanded that others assistthem in this endeavor
with “silver, with gold, with goods, andwith animals, besides the freewill
offering for the house of Godwhich is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:4). Cyrus himself
returned all the gold and silver vessels thatthe Babylonians had removed
from the temple several decades earlier—overfive thousand gold and silver
vessels in all (Ezra 1:10).
The exiles, more than forty-two thousand of them plus servants and animals,
returned to Jerusalemand beganthe task of rebuilding the temple (Ezra 2-3).
They encounteredresistance from the localpeople, who wrote King
Artaxerxes (a successorto Cyrus), slandering the exiles. As a result, the
former exiles had to discontinue work on the temple for a time (Ezra 4).
However, the former exiles made an appeal to King Darius (another successor
to Cyrus), asking him to check the royal records to confirm Cyrus’ decree.

After doing so, Darius permitted the former exiles to resume rebuilding, and
agreedto bear the cost(Ezra 5-6).
Ezra 7 then tells of Artaxerxes sending a decree to the treasurers in the
province Beyond the River: “WhateverEzra the priest, the scribe of the law
of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence, to one
hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred measures ofwheat, and to one
hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and saltwithout
prescribing how much” (Ezra 7:21-22).
This history is relatedto Isaiah60:3-6, because it tells the story of “the
nations” (Gentiles) providing support for the rebuilding of the temple. The
edicts by Cyrus and Darius led to ships and caravans heading for Jerusalem
bearing greattreasure.
(NOTE:The name, Artaxerxes, in Ezra 4:11 is confusing, because Artaxerxes
I ruled 464-424B.C., many years after Darius’ death in 486 B.C. However,
Darius is mentioned in Ezra 5:6 as if he followedArtaxerxes. I haven’t been
able to reconcile that.)
ISAIAH 60:4. THEY COME TO YOU
4Lift up your eyes all around, and see:they all gather themselves together,
they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be
carried in the arms.
“Lift up your eyes all around, and see:they all gather themselves together,
they come to you” (v. 4a). The returned exiles have been required to live as
second-class citizens (ornon-citizens) for decades. Thatsort of servitude is
spirit-killing. People who live under that kind of oppressionoftenfind it
difficult to regain their footing. But this verse calls them to lift up their eyes so
that they cansee the blessings that are arriving—blessings that, by the grace
of God, are coming to them from far-flung princes and kings. From their
perch on Mount Zion, they can look out and see ships coming from the sea
and caravans coming from inland.

“your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the
arms” (v. 4b). Some fifty thousand people have returned, but that is not
nearly all the exiles. Others will be arriving from various locations.
ISAIAH 60:5. THEN YOU SHALL SEE AND BE RADIANT
5Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and be
enlarged;because the abundance of the sea shallbe turned to you, the wealth
of the nations shall come to you.
“Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and be
enlarged” (v. 5a). These verbs—”seeand be radiant…thrill and be
enlarged”—conveythe excitementthat the former exiles will feel at seeing the
wealth of nations brought to them. That would be a wonderful sight for any
people, but especiallyso for these former exiles who for so long have had to
pay tribute to more powerful nations. Now these nations will be bringing
tribute to Jerusalem. This will bring to an end their crisis of faith. “The
epiphany of the Gentiles now becomes the catalystfor the epiphany of the
people of Jerusalem…. The believing community will see anew;for the
unbelieving community has come to see and believe” (Reid, 377).
“because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the
nations shall come to you” (v. 5b).
“The abundance of the sea” refers to goods transported by ship—most likely
come from Phoenicia, which is on the Mediterraneancoastand north of the
Sea of Galilee (modern-day Lebanon). Phoenicia includes the cities of Tyre
and Sidon, important seaports.
These former exiles would have seengreatwealthduring their exile, but it
belongedto their masters. Now they will see “the nations” to whom they have
been servants bringing their wealth to Jerusalem. This wealth, however
attractive it might be in its own merit, has a deeper meaning. It is a sign of
Yahweh’s love for them, and is given by “the nations” as a tribute to God.
ISAIAH 60:6. THE MULTITUDE OF CAMELS SHALL COVER YOU

6The multitude of camels shallcover you, the dromedaries of Midian and
Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come;they shall bring gold and
frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of Yahweh.
“The multitude of camels shallcover you, the dromedaries of Midian and
Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come” (v. 6a). Mostcountries sending
support to Jerusalemwould not have access to seaports, so theywould use
camelcaravans to transport their goods.
• Midian was the fourth sonof Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). The
people of Midian were locatedsouth and eastof Judah (modern-day
northwest Saudi Arabia), near the Gulf of Elath (modern-day Gulf of Aqaba).
• Ephah was the son of Midian (Genesis 25:4)and the Ephah mentioned here
is apparently a Midianite tribe.
• The locationof Sheba was probably on the south edge of the Arabian
Peninsula (modern-day Yemen) (Rasmussen, 251). Itwould have been a
source of “gold, frankincense, sweetcane and other spices, gems, andother
goods from Africa, India, and the East” (Myers, 934).
However, this mention of Sheba alludes more importantly to the visit of the
Queen of Sheba to King Solomonat a time when Israel’s powerwas at its
peak and Solomon’s wisdomwas legendary. “She came to Jerusalemwith a
very greattrain, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and
precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2. See also 2 Chronicles 9).
That story goes onat length about Solomon’s greatwisdomand the riches
sent to him, not only by the Queen of Sheba, but also from Hiram (1 Kings
10:11)as well as traders and merchants and “ofall the kings of the mixed
people, and of the governors of the country” (1 Kings 10:15). It tells of a fleet
of ships that brought cargoesof“gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and
peacocks”everythree years (1 Kings 10:22). It says, “Theybrought every
man his tribute, vessels ofsilver, and vessels ofgold, and clothing, and armor,
and spices, horses,and mules, a rate year by year” (1 Kings 10:25). It tells of
Solomonimporting horses and chariots from Egypt (1 Kings 10:28-29).

In other words, this mention of Sheba would have brought to mind a time
when Israel was greatand kings and queens brought lavish gifts from all over
the world. Solomonused those gifts, in part, to build the first temple. Now the
prophet says that once againthe people—until very recently exiles—can
expectkings and queens to bring gifts from all over the world to help them
build a new temple.
“they shall bring goldand frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of
Yahweh” (v. 6b). Gold and frankincense are valuable commodities that are
compactand easyto transport. Frankincense is an incense used in temple
worship and to embalm dead bodies. The Wise Men will bring Jesus gifts of
gold, frankincense, andmyrrh (Matthew 2:11).
Copyright 2010, RichardNiellDonovan
All Rights Reserved| © 1997-2018 RichardNiellDonovan
Commentary on Isaiah60:1-6
MichaelJ. Chan | 1 Comment
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Isaiah60 casts a magnificent vision of Zion’s future -- full of light, prosperity,
and prestige.
This city, whose history is riddled with the wreckage ofwarand marked by
the scars ofempire, will exchange the sounds of violence and ruin for the
clamor of reconstructionand international traffic. To gaina fuller
appreciationfor what this text hopes for and how it imagines Zion’s future,
one must move beyond the boundaries establishedby the lectionary (Isaiah
60:1-6) to include the entire pericope (Isaiah60:1-22). When consideredin its
entirety, the oracle canbe brokeninto three broad movements: vv. 1-3, 4-17,
18-22.
Isaiah60:1-3 is flooded with divine light: “Arise, shine, for your light has
dawned; the presence ofthe Lord has shone upon you!” (v. 1). Darkness will
afflict the earth, but upon Zion “the Lord will shine” (v. 2). The echoesofthe
plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21-29)are clear, only this time, it is unleashed
on a global scale:The whole earth will be plunged into darkness, and Zion
alone will mediate divine light to the nations and will become a lantern by
which kings will walk (v. 3).
Reading Isaiah 60:4-17 is like standing in front of a slow moving parade, and
this may very wellbe the point. The authors enjoin their readers, “raise your
eyes and look about” (v. 4). What does one see? Notonly returning exiles (v. 4)
but “the wealthof nations” (v. 5): camels, dromedaries, gold, frankincense,
flocks, rams, offerings, silver, laborers to restore the city, vassalkings, and
lumber, will adorn Jerusalem’s streets.Like other greatimperial capitals of
the NearEast, Jerusalemwill “suck the milk of the nations” (v. 16). One thing
is clear:Zion’s fortunes have been reversed:“Bowing before you, shall come
the children of those who tormented you; prostrate at the soles ofyour feet
shall be all those who reviled you” (v. 14).
The astounding claims continue in Isaiah60:18-22. The familiar clamorof
violence will ceaseto haunt Jerusalem’s blood-soakedstreets. Instead, the

walls and gates ofthe city will be renamed, “victory” and “renown” (v. 18), to
commemorate Zion’s new status. Not only will violence cease, the whole
nature of creationwill change:the sun and moon will retire from their
celestialduties, because the Lord himself will be Zion’s everlasting light (vv.
19-20). All of Zion’s people will be righteous and will possessthe land forever
(v. 21). Even the smallestwill become an entire class, and the leasta mighty
nation (v. 22). Peace, prestige, andpower -- these are Zion’s destiny.
“Reversal.” This is the word that best describes the hope expressedin Isaiah
60. Through the powerof God, the oppressedare put into power; those once
stripped of resources andgoods not only receive what was takenfrom them,
they become exceedinglywealthy in the process;those driven far from
Jerusalemreturn. The world, the text claims, is about to be turned on its
head.
One thing the author of Isaiah 60 did not change, however, is the organization
of imperial power. The differentials and binaries present in NearEastern
empires -- and many empires, for that matter -- remain unchanged in Isaiah
60’s vision of the future. There is zero tolerance fordisobedience in this new
system: “Forthe nation or the kingdom that does not serve you shall perish;
such nations shall be destroyed” (Isaiah 60:12). The forgiveness,compassion,
and redemption promised to Zion will never be available for those who
disobey the new empire in this new reality: disobedience is death. New empire,
same as the last?
These observations raise animportant setof questions, especiallygiven the
fact that this text is used to inform Christian thinking about the future of
creation. While profound in its capacityto imagine a new and hopeful future,
Isaiah60 is never able to move beyond a discourse of domination, despite
Israel’s own story of redemption from oppressionin Egypt. In its worst
moments, this text is a revenge fantasythat longs for one’s oppressors to be
the oppressed, forthe masters to be the servants, and for the systemof
economic oppressionto be tilted in favor of the victims. At the very least, one
can saythat Isaiah 60 doesn’t go as far as other Isaianic texts, which imagine
Zion as a place where violence ceases to exist(Isaiah 11:9; 65:25).

Do we really want our advent hope to be funded by texts like this? Is the
powerone finds in the cross and Advent, where divine power manifests itself
in weaknessandsuffering, the powerone finds in this text? Does sucha text
remain a useful source for Christian eschatologicalthinking?
Martin Luther gave us a profound lessonin how to wield divine powerin his
essay, “The Freedomofa Christian.” Although certainly not dealing with the
kind of political power imagined in Isaiah 60, there is deep wisdom in his
claim that all the riches of heavenare given to us in Christ, not in order that
one might subjugate others, but rather that the Christian might empty
himself, take on the form of a servant, and “in every waydeal with his
neighbor as he sees that Godthrough Christ has dealt and still deals with
him.”1 The divine power we have in Christ, in other words, is power for the
neighbor. Greatpower, of course, enables the domination of those who are
weaker. Terrifying is the factthat greatpower actually enables us to act out
our revenge fantasies. Butif we take a cue from Luther, then we realize that
powerdoes something else;it frees us, not to subjugate, but to serve, not crush
but to heal, not to extract resources but to provide them for those less
fortunate.
So in the end, should one preach Isaiah60 and its ilk? Yes, absolutely. Preach
it, talk about our hope in God’s ability to remake our fractured world, and to
reconcile on earth what has alreadybeen reconciledin heaven. But when you
do preach on Isaiah 60, also use it as an opportunity to teach your
congregationthat biblical interpretation is not about uncritical adoption of
what the Bible claims. Rather, biblical interpretation is always and at every
time dialogical. It evokes a conversationbetweenthe readerand the text.
https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2285
“Arise and Shine”
After McCoy

Introduction: Yesterdaywas the 12th day of Christmas and the day set aside
by the Church as The Epiphany of our Lord. Consequently, we have moved
into the Epiphany seasonof the Church year, a seasonemphasizing the Light
of the world being revealedto the Gentiles as the Wise Men from the East
brought their gifts to the Christ Child in the house at Bethlehem and the
beginning of the ministry of our Lord some thirty years later with His
Baptism in the Jordan River.
The sermon text for this day is the Old TestamentReading for The
Epiphany of our Lord, Isaiah 60:1-6. Pleaselistento that portion of God's
Word, doing so under the theme ...
... Arise and Shine!
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 seenupon
you. And nations shall come to your Light, and kings to the brightness of
your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see;they all gather together,
they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be
carried in the arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill
and rejoice;because the abundance of the sea shallbe turned to you, the
wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shallcover
you, the young camels of Mid'ian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the
LORD.
The words arise and shine may be heard in different contexts and
certainly have different meanings and receptions by the individual. For
example, those who have servedin the military and gone through basic
training might recall hearing those words very early in the morning, while it
was still dark. A burly drill sergeantmarches into the barracks, turns on the
lights, and breaks the silence of the night with the words, Rise and shine; it's
time for PT! At that time, those words were not necessarilywhat someone
wanted to hear. On the other hand, a different setting and occasionmight
bring greatjoy and anticipation. When a mom or dad comes into a child's

room while it is still dark on Christmas morning and says, Rise and shine; it's
time for opening presents! However, recognizing that the situation is usually
reversed, we would probably agree that it is more likely that the children will
run down the hall, while it is still dark on Christmas morning, and into their
parent's bedroom awakening them with their own rendition of Rise and shine.
The Lord our God, writing to His Church through the prophet Isaiah,
extends the invitation to Arise and shine. Like children on Christmas
morning, the Church wants to hear these words. And although they take the
form of a command, the words are not Law, but Gospel. These GoodNews
words are like the command of Jesus whenHe took the cup when He had
supped and said, “Take andeat.” These words are pure grace on the Lord's
part. With the command to Arise and Shine comes the powerof God to do so.
The Church is directed to wake up from within a world of darkness due to sin
and to receive the Light of the world and to bask in the Glory of the Lord,
with both the Light and the Glory being Incarnate Word of God - the Word
made flesh and dwelling among us.
The words of our text are part of the prophecy of God, given through
the Old Testamentprophet Isaiah. In chapter 59 - the one just before our
text - Isaiahdescribes the situation of mankind. Man's unholiness and his
iniquities have made a separationwith God. There is a wide, deep,
impassable gorge betweenGodand man because ofsin. Without God, the
people sit in darkness and have neither idea of what peace is nor how to turn
on the light, let alone rising and shining. Only those who have heard the
Word of God's Light and believe in the Glory of the Lord will be delivered.
Nearthe end of chapter59, Isaiah states that very thing - that the Lord
Himself will come to Zion as the Redeemer, to deliver His people.
In Chapter 60, Isaiah gives a broader description of the gathering of
God's chosenpeople as the Glory of the Lord descends upon and in the midst
of His Church. As a result of the Redeemerhaving come into the world -
being born into the world as the Son of a virgin - the command given to the
Church is to Arise, shine; for your Light has come.

Arise and shine

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