In this installment the focus is on the Holy City, and the changes the Lord will bring to Zion.  Included among these are vast wealth, eternal light, and a new name.

Isaiah 60. The Glory of Zion
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)

The word translated darkness in this passage is the same as in Genesis 1:2, before God said, “Let there be light.”  It was also used to describe the darkness so thick it could be felt in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:21) It has spiritual as well as physical properties.  The Lord Jesus spoke of this in the Olivet Discourse. He was actually quoting from Isaiah 13:10 in speaking of the time immediately after the end of the Great Tribulation. But as you can see, the language is almost identical.

“Immediately after the distress of those days” ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (The word for “bodies”  literally means “powers”.  This is more than falling stars.  Spiritual powers in the heavens will be shaken as He returns.)

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:29-30)

Isaiah prophesied that the 2nd Coming will bring the dawn of Israel’s greatest Age. The time of separation caused by their rejection of the Messiah will have ended with their acceptance.  He is the Light that brings them life.  The unbelieving world will mourn, realizing too late that they’ve been wrong about everything, and will remain in darkness forever.  Although Isaiah directed this chapter to the Holy City, the blessings will accrue to Israel as a whole.

Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,  to you the riches of the nations will come. (Isaiah 60:3-5)

As we learned in a previous installment, the gentile world will pay homage to Israel.   And it will be expressed in much more tangible ways than simply lending a helping hand to the returnees. As we’ll see the focal point will be the Holy City, now the City of Light in every respect.

Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. (Isaiah 60:6)

Midian, Ephah, and Sheba  were sons and grandsons of Abraham and Ketura, the wife he took after Sarah died. (Genesis 25:1-4)  These names are all associated with the Arabian Peninsula.  Like the Wise Men of old they’ll bring expensive gifts as they come to praise the Lord. Gold is a gift for a King and incense (KJV frankincense) evokes images of the priesthood. Notice there’s no myrrh mentioned here. Myrrh was an embalming spice and its absence indicates that God will never again have to die for man. His sacrifice was a once for all time event. (Hebrews 10:12)

All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple. (Isaiah 60:7)

Kedar was the 2nd son of Ishmael, and Nebaioth was Ishmael’s first born. Perhaps Kedar was mentioned first  because of the greater prominence he would gain as the patriarch of the line of Mohamed.  In addition to sacrificial animals for the temple offerings, some see the former followers of Mohamed symbolized here, giving homage to the God of Israel and serving Him.

“Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?  Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. (Isaiah 60:8-9)

From all around the world the wealth of the nations will pour into the Holy City, in honor of the God of Israel. Men who were previously unaware will be awakened to their Jewish heritage.  God’s people, once thought to be on the brink of extinction, will form a seemingly endless procession to their ancestral home in His Holy City, like flocks of migrating birds returning to their homes.

“Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.

“The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet. The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 60:10-14)

Upon arriving at the Millennial Temple at the beginning of the Kingdom Age, God will say, ”This is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever.” (Ezekiel 43:7)  Israel will once again be pre-imminent among nations and the Holy City will not only be its capitol, it will be the everlasting home of the God of the Universe. The nations of the world will offer their services and bring their wealth. Those who have been Israel’s blood enemies for a hundred generations will come and bow down upon entering the Holy City.

“Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. (Isaiah 60:15-18)

The Holy City will be the source of pride and joy for all generations of Earth’s people.  Wealth and favor will be accompanied by peace and righteousness, with violence, ruin and destruction consigned forever to the past.  Once again the Hebrew word translated Salvation is Yeshua, but in this case the word for praise actually means a hymn or song of praise.  It’s absolutely fascinating to me that the walls and gates of the Holy city are modeled in the contemporary evangelical church.  The emphasis is on Jesus, expressed in song after song of praise and worship.

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. (Isaiah 60:19-20)

The promises here are similar to those given the Church.  Neither will require the light of the Sun or Moon.  As the Lamb is the lamp of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:23), the Father is the everlasting light of Israel. And the Glory of God illuminates them both.

Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted,  the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.” (Isaiah 60:21)

The full portion of the Promised Land will be Israel’s home forever, and they will spread out from there to found other nations.  It’s a promise from the Lord.

You may have noticed that although the entire chapter was spoken to the Holy City, not once was the name Jerusalem mentioned.  Two chapters later, Isaiah explained this.

Isaiah 62. Zion’s New Name
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.

The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name  that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.  You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,  a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you,  and your land will be married.  As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.  (Isaiah 62:1-5)

Hephzibah means “my delight is in her” and Beulah means “married”.  But these are not the official names of the Holy City either.  For that we need to consult Ezekiel again.

“And the name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD is There .”(Ezekiel 48:35) In Hebrew it’s JHVH (Jehovah) Shammah, and it means that out of the entire universe, God will have chosen to live among His people in the land He promised them, in the city they will have built for Him.

Back To The Present
In the coming days we will likely see the most intense efforts yet to divide the Promised Land.  Indications are that the USA and Europe will exert almost unbearable pressure upon the new government of Israel to go along.  Loyalties are shifting rapidly.  It appears that very soon  the US will publicly invite the Moslem world to help forge a global US-Moslem reconciliation that will leave Israel out in the cold.  A Palestinian State will be their reward for peace  in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, and Iran will be allowed to produce the remaining components for a nuclear weapon on the promise that they’ll stop short of actually assembling them. Israel will have no say in these matters.

I first heard the phrase “prophecy on fast-forward” from Hal Lindsey a few years back. He was talking about what would happen if the US ever abandoned Israel.  More and more, commentators are using it in reference to the days just ahead. We’ve all heard the Lord’s command from Psalm 122:6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.” It’s more important to do this now than ever before.

We bring this installment to a close with Isaiah’s version of the Lord’s command:

You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7)

In the most literal form of this commandment we’re being told not to be silent about this in our prayers, but to make it a constant plea, and to allow the Lord no peace and quiet until He achieves this.   It’s easy to become sick at heart as we see the way things are going in the world today.  Our defense against this is prayer. Constant, urgent, fervent prayer.

Here’s another look at the Great Tribulation, the Lord’s promise to preserve Israel through it, and a beautiful picture of the future glory of Zion.  By now you understand that this is a recurring theme in Isaiah, but each time we look at it we get some new information and this time is no exception.

Isaiah 51:17-23, The Cup Of The LORD’s Wrath
Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath,  you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger. (Isaiah 51:17)

This is a reference to the Great Tribulation, during which the third and final cycle of God’s wrath will be poured out upon the Earth.  Recall once again that the dual purpose of the Great Tribulation is to completely destroy the nations and to discipline (but not destroy) Israel. (Jeremiah 30:11)

Of all the sons she bore  there was none to guide her; of all the sons she reared there was none to take her by the hand.  These double calamities have come upon you—who can comfort you?— ruin and destruction, famine and sword— who can console you?  Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street,  like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD and the rebuke of your God.

Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine. This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: “See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger;  from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, ‘Fall prostrate that we may walk over you.’ And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked over.”(Isaiah 51:18-23)

None of Israel’s modern day leaders will have done what is required to spare Israel from the Great Tribulation.  The Lord told us that this time of judgment will be so severe that if He allowed it to run its course, no one would survive. But for the sake of His elect,  He’ll put a stop to it at the appointed time, (Matt. 24:22) which is 1260 days after it begins. Just before the end, the Lord will pour out upon His people a spirit of grace and supplication.  They will finally recognize their Messiah, the one they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10) and that will put an end to their problems forever.   By the time it’s all over the unbelieving nations who have oppressed and tormented Israel will have been totally defeated.

Note: Some may wonder why I haven’t included Isaiah 52 here, especially since the reference to Assyria in Isaiah 52:4 is currently being used to support the position that the anti-Christ will be an Assyrian.  If you read Isaiah 52 carefully, you’ll see that the context of the chapter is the Babylonian captivity, a 70 year judgment that began in 586 BC.  In effect the Lord was looking back from the time of the Babylonian captivity saying, “First it was Egypt, then lately (recently) it was Assyria who oppressed my people.  And now what do I have here?”(Isaiah 52:4-5)

The unspoken answer is Babylon, who would subject His people to a third round of oppression.  We know this because as Isaiah was writing, Assyria was about to conquer the Northern Kingdom and 100 years after that Babylon would carry the Southern Kingdom away.  And, verses 8-9 speak of watchmen standing among the ruins of Jerusalem spotting the returning captives.  In Verse 10 the Lord says that because of their return all the nations of the world would see His salvation (the Hebrew word is Yeshua).  Had the Lord not freed the Jews to return and rebuild their nation, Jesus could not have come to preach the gospel on the mountains of Israel (Isaiah 52:7). Finally, verses 11 and 12 refer to the newly freed captives leaving Babylon in an orderly manner with the Temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken for his museum, and that Cyrus had returned to the Jews when he released them.

To say that Isaiah 52:4 identifies the anti-Christ as an Assyrian is incorrect for two reasons.  First the language refers to the nation of Assyria, not a person of Assyrian descent.  And second, there is no Biblical justification for lifting that one verse out of the historical context of the chapter, and claiming it points to the End of the Age.  Although Isaiah 52 was written as prophecy, it was fulfilled in history and is not meant for our future.

Isaiah 54, The Future Glory Of Zion
“Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor;  because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.  For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. (Isaiah 52:1-3)

This is another indication that God’s people will have no idea how far and wide they’ve been dispersed, nor how great in number they’ve become. The nation will expand to finally fill the boundaries originally assigned to them but never permanently inhabited, and in the process neighboring nations will have to move over to make room. Lebanon and Syria are examples of countries whose borders will shift, and of course the Palestinian state, so ardently desired by world leaders today but never a part of history, will not exist at all.

“Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.  Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.  The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. (Isaiah 54:4-6)

Ever have a rift between you and a child or loved one drag on and on just because he or she wouldn’t admit there was a problem?  In Hosea 5:15 the Lord said He was going back to where He came from until His people admitted their sin (singular). He’s been waiting for 2000 years.  Just before the end of the Great Tribulation, at a point when they’re on the brink of defeat, He’ll finally open their minds to  understand what they’ve done and they’ll look to Him in deep mourning. (Zech 12:10)

In Matt. 27:25 they had accepted responsibility for the Lord’s death, saying, “Let His blood be on us and on our children.”  Since then, all they’ve had to do is to admit their sin. As soon as they do, they’ll be forgiven. Joel 3:21 says, “Their blood guilt which I have not pardoned I will pardon.”  Their sin will immediately be forgotten and they’ll be restored to their former glory, like an estranged wife who’s been welcomed back into the marriage.

“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

“To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:7-10)

As  always, when the Lord forgives, He also forgets, and the past ceases to exist. For Israel, the very sin that estranged them made possible the forgiveness that will restore them.  The Blood of Jesus is sufficient to wash away even the sin that caused it to be shed, and it will be like it never happened.  But more than that, His blood purchased a promise that never again will He look upon them in anger, never again will He rebuke them.  Think about that, because that’s exactly what God promised you when you accepted His death as payment for your sins. The New Covenant will have finally come to Israel  just as Jeremiah promised. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

“O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise,  your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.  All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.  In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear.  Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.  If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. (Isaiah 54:11-15)

The Holy City will be beautiful beyond description, a true work of art. They will all know the Lord and will be taught by Him personally.  Their peace will be so real they’ll be able to feel it.  Never again will tyrannical leaders betray them. Terrorist attacks will be a thing of the distant past, to be feared no more.  If anyone does dare to attack them, such as will happen at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:9), the result of their folly will be certain defeat.

“See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work.  And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;  no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.(Isaiah 54:16-17)

Since the Lord controls the weapons maker, He can also ensure that any weapons made for use against Israel will not be equal to the task.  True to the prophecy, this has been the heritage of the Lord’s servants where Israel is concerned.  Here’s just one remarkable example among many.

In 1917, the British army was determined to capture Jerusalem from the Turks. General Edmond Allenby, the British commander and a passionate believer, asked the Lord to help him take the city without a battle, in order to avoid the bloodshed and destruction that would otherwise occur. In response, the Lord gave him Isaiah 31:5 “Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”

General Allenby set about to gather up every airplane he could find (in those days there weren’t many)  and had leaflets that said, “Surrender the city today. Allenby.” dropped over Jerusalem.  Unbeknown to him, when the leaflets were printed the Arab interpreter got the translation of his name wrong, so the message was signed Alla Bay, which to a Moslem means “Son of God.” Thinking they had received a message from God, the Arabs fled the city and the British troops took it without a battle.

Over and over again the Israeli military has defeated the combined forces of their substantially larger enemies, sometimes in ways that have never been explained to everyone’s satisfaction.  Could it be God?  Isaiah would surely say, “Yes.”  In the coming Battle of Ezekiel 38, Israel and the world at large will finally be certain of  the identity of the Jewish nation’s powerful ally.

“I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place,” declares the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 39:7-8)

We’re nearing the end of this series, but there’s lots more good stuff coming before we get there.