Isaiah 60 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes

Isaiah 60 Short Summary:

Isaiah, through inspiration from God, foretells a glorious restoration for Zion and the people of Judah. This restoration would occur through the life, ministry, and reign of God’s Messiah (Jesus), who Isaiah prophesied about in previous section of his book.

Isaiah 60 Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned the reigns of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

• Isaiah’s ministry is thought to span from 739-681 BC.

KEY CHARACTERS:

• Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.

• The People of Judah – God foretells the restoration of Judah through the work of His Messiah.

DEFINITIONS:

• Zion (60:14) - Zion refers to the hill/mountain where David’s palace was built in Jerusalem. This area was on the southeast side of the city. Zion is sometimes used to refer to the city of Jerusalem as a whole.

OUTLINE:

• THE GLORY OF ZION AND THE NATIONS GATHER TO JUDAH (60:1-22):

  • This chapter is all about how God was going to elevate Zion to a place of prominence and make her revered by Jews and Gentiles alike.

  • God promised to make Zion “majestic forever, a joy from age to age” (60:15).

  • Light would shine on Judah and God’s glory would rest on her.

  • The nations would flock to the light and bring riches and sacrifices to the Lord.

  • Foreigners would build up the walls of Jerusalem, and the gates of the city would always be open to accept the “wealth of the nations.”

  • Any nation that wouldn’t honor Zion would be “utterly laid waste” (60:12).

  • Those who oppressed Zion in the past would bow the knee to Jerusalem and call it “The City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (60:14).

  • When God did this great work in Judah, His people would learn that He was their redeemer, savior, and the Mighty One of Jacob.

  • God said, “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory” (60:19, see also Rev 21:23; 22:5).

  • In those days, the sun would never set on Judah. God would be an everlasting light.

  • All the people would be righteous and possess the land forever.

APPLICATION:

• What is the fulfillment of this prophecy? Is there going to be a day when God’s Temple is rebuilt and physical Israel is lifted up as a world power to receive the allegiance of all the nations of the world?

• There are people that believe that will come to pass, and if this chapter were the only chapter regarding future times, I would be obliged to agree with them.

• However, I am somewhat skeptical of that view because of other sections of the Bible.

• My understanding of Isaiah 60 is that it is a prophecy about the Messiah’s Church. The Church was established in Jerusalem, and all the nations of the world look to Jerusalem as the source of the Light of the World (Jesus, through His crucifixion and resurrection).

• Isaiah 60 uses physical kingdom language to describe the results of Jesus’ salvific work and the influence of His spiritual kingdom which grew from Zion.

• Does God still have a unique role for the genetic people of Judah? Or were all of God’s promises for Judah and Israel fulfilled through the Church? That’s a question I’m currently exploring, and I believe the prophecies of the Old Testament are relevant to that question.

• For application, let’s remain open minded to texts we haven’t studied in depth before. We don’t want to force the fulfillment of every prophecy into our previously held views. The prophets must be allowed to inform our understanding of God’s past work and future work.