Three Reasons Why You Can Live in Hope – Isaiah 60:1-22
60 Arise, shine, for your light has dawned; indeed, the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. (2) Look, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the people; but Jehovah rises upon you, and his glory appears over you. (3) Nations will come to your light, and kings will come to the brightness of your dawn. (4) Lift up your eyes and look around: they all assemble themselves, they come to you—your sons shall come from a distance and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. (5) Then you will see this and be radiant with joy, your heart will throb and swell with happiness; because the riches of the earth will be brought to you over the sea, the wealth of the nations will come to you. (6) Herds of camels will cover your land, the young camels of Midian and Ephah. All the men of Sheba shall come to you, bringing gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. (7) All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered for you, the rams of Nebaioth will be at your service; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will glorify my temple with my glory. (8) Who are these that fly along like a cloud in the sky, who fly like doves to their nests? (9) Surely the islands will be at my service; in the lead are the merchant ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from a distant land with their silver and gold; on account of the name of Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel, because he has honored you.
(10) Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you; for, although I struck you in my wrath, now with my favor I will have mercy on you. (11) Your gates will continually stand open, they will not be shut day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations—and their kings presented to you as captives. (12) The nation or kingdom that refuses to serve you will perish; indeed, those nations shall be utterly destroyed. (13) The glory of Lebanon will be given to you—the pine, the fir, the cypress, all of them—to beautify the area around my sanctuary; I will glorify the place where my feet rest. (14) The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all those who despised you will bow down at the soles of your feet. They will call you, The City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
(15) Whereas formerly you had been forsaken and hated, so that no one traveled through your land, I will make you become an eternal splendor, a sight that inspires rapture in all generations. (16) You will suck the milk of the nations, you will nurse upon the breasts of kings. Then you will know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (17) Instead of brass I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood I will bring brass, and instead of stones I will bring iron.
Furthermore, I will make peace to be your governor and righteousness to be your ruler. (18) Violence will no longer be heard of in your land, nor will there be any reports of ruin or destruction within your borders. On the contrary, you will name your walls Salvation and your gates you will call Praise. (19) The sun shall no longer be your light by day, neither shall the brightness of the moon be your source of light in the night; Jehovah will be your everlasting light, and your God shall be your brightness. (20) Your sun will never set again, and your moon will no longer wane; for Jehovah will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. (21) Your people will be completely righteous, they will inherit the land as an everlasting possession. They are the shoot I have planted, the work produced by my hand, so that I may be glorified. (22) The least of you will become a thousand, and the smallest of you will become a mighty nation. At the appointed time, I, Jehovah, will cause it to happen suddenly.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
