Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Isaiah 60:7

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Isaiah 60:7. The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee — Vitringa on the place understands their ministering, and ascending or going up on the altar, as offering themselves voluntarily: ipsi se, non expectato sacerdote alto, gloriae et sanctificationi divini nominis ultro ac libenter oblaturi. "They, waiting for no priest, go and freely offer themselves to the glory and sanctification of the sacred name." This gives a very elegant and poetical turn to the image. It was a general notion that prevailed with sacrificers among the heathen, that the victim's being brought without reluctance to the altar was a good omen; and the contrary a bad one. Sabinos petit aliquanto tristior; quod sacrificanti hostia aufugerat. Sueton. Titus, cap. x. Accessit dirum omen, profugus altaribus tauris. "It was an omen of dreadful portent when the victim fled away from the altar." Tacit. Hist. iii. 56. - L.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

A glorious kingdom (60:1-22)

In Chapters 60-62 the scene returns to Babylon, where the captive Israelites look forward to the return to their homeland and the reconstruction of their national life. Here, more than in the previous chapters, the blessings seem to go far beyond those experienced by post-exilic Israel. (See sub-section ‘New Jerusalem’ at the introduction to Chapters 40-66.)
When sin is removed and enemies are punished, Israel will receive the glory it has always hoped for. Not only will scattered Jews return to their land, but people of all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel (60:1-5). Some countries send camels loaded with treasure. Others send animals that guarantee a constant supply for the sacrifices in the rebuilt temple (6-7). Ships bring people and goods from countries across the sea to enrich Israel (8-9).
Foreigners help rebuild Jerusalem, and demonstrate their submission to Israel by the constant supply of gifts they bring to the city (10-12). Some of the nations provide valuable building materials for the new temple (13). Nations that in the past attacked Israel now become its subjects. Those who previously plundered and disgraced Israel now bring it riches and honour (14-16).
Jerusalem is established with beauty, security and strength. Violence and cruelty are replaced by peace and righteousness (17-18). Lights are not necessary, because God’s glory fills every place. There is no sadness and no sin. Since the sovereign God is in control there is perfect security and universal prosperity (19-22).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be carried in the arms. Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar; and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee."

Douglas pointed out vocabulary correspondence in Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 21:16-17; Isaiah 9:4; Isaiah 10:26; Isaiah 2:6-22; and in Isa. 23:1,6.10,18),Ibid., pp. 392,393. with this paragraph. The same author pinpointed such correspondence throughout these last twenty-seven chapters with earlier chapters in Isaiah, making it a practical certainty that Isaiah is the author of the whole prophecy.

Kidner pointed out that the priestly terms of Isaiah 60:7 "preclude a literal interpretation of the chapter, because the New Testament reveals that there can be no return to a worship based upon such things as `rams… altar… and house,' which are but a shadow of the good things to come (Hebrews 10:1)."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 621.

These verses undoubtedly depict the glorious wealth that shall characterize Christianity, an amazing truth evident in all generations. This very day, all over the world, let the Christian nations (however imperfectly they deserve the title) be compared with the nations that are in darkness, either because they never accepted the truth, or because they rejected it and reverted to their old ways; and the result is astounding. Compare Ethiopia, India, China, etc. with England, Western Europe, and North America; and behold the difference. Russia is indeed a great nation; but they rejected Christianity; and today, they are rapidly slipping backward into the impoverished state that always belongs to the rejection of Christianity. The United States is feeding them via the sale of 200,000.000 metric tons of wheat a year! To us, this remarkable passage speaks more of this colossal truth than of anything else.

This very year (1989-1990), Russia is authorizing the shipment of millions of Bibles into their nation. The new leadership, at last, seems to have discovered the cause of the nation's failure and are attempting to remedy it.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

All the flocks of Kedar - On the word ‘Kedar,’ see the notes at Isaiah 21:16. The Kedarenians were a wandering tribe that frequently changed their residence, though it is probable they usually dwelt in the south part of Arabia Deserta, or the north of Arabia Petraea. They are mentioned as dwelling in beautiful tents Song of Solomon 1:5 : ‘I am black, but comely as the tents of Kedar,’ see Psalms 120:5; compare Isaiah 21:16-17; Isaiah 42:11. The language here also means that that which constituted their principal wealth would come and enrich Jerusalem, or the church of God.

The rams of Nebaioth - Nebaioth was also a son of Ishmael Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29, and was the father of the Nabatheans. They were a people of Arabia Petraea, and lived principally by plunder, trade, and the keeping of flocks. The country of Nabathea extended, it is supposed, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea, and embraced Petra, the capital of Arabia Deserts, and also Medaba. It is not possible, however, to fix the exact boundaries of the various tribes of Arabians. The general idea is, that their most valuable possessions would be devoted to God.

Shall minister unto thee - That is, by coming up as an acceptable sacrifice on the altar.

They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar - It is by no means necessary to understand this literally. The Jews were accustomed to express their ideas of worship by sacrifices, and the prophet naturally employed that language. The sense is, that the conversion of the wandering tribes of Arabia would be as certain and as signal as if the numerous flocks of Kedar and Nebaioth should be devoted to Yahweh in sacrifice. All that was valuable there would be employed in his service; the people would come with their most precious offerings and consecrate them to God. It is evident that this remains to be fulfilled. Paul, indeed, preached in Arabia Galatians 1:17; and, doubtless, there were some conversions to Christianity there. But, as a people, they never have been converted to the true God; and in all ages they have been the victims of either idolatry or superstition. The time will come, however, when Arabia, so interesting as settled by the descendants of Abraham; so interesting in the bold, active, and energetic character of its tribes; so interesting as using a language that is one of the most refined and far-spoken of the earth; and so interesting as being, in some parts at least, among the most fertile and beautiful of the earth, shall be converted to God. Probably the most balmy, pure, and pleasant climate of the world is the southern part of Arabia Felix - the country of Yemen; and when the Arabs shall bring their energy of character to the service of the true God, and the gospel shall be preached in their language to all their tribes, no one can predict the effect which this shall have on the entire conversion of the world.

And I will glorify - I will honor my glorious house, that is, the temple. Lowth, ‘And my beauteous house I will yet beautify.’ The idea is, that he would adorn the temple by bringing the distant nations, with their most valuable possessions, to worship there. That is, the true religion would yet appear glorious when the nation should acknowledge it and submit to its requirements.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

7.Kedar, Nebaioth. So far as relates to the countries which the Prophet here enumerates, it is unnecessary to explain in what place each of them is situated; but it ought to be observed, in passing, that he mentions here those countries which lay toward the East, and chiefly Arabia and neighboring places, which he describes under the names of “Kedar” and “Nebaioth.” The Papists have also abused this passage, in order to prove that kings came from the East to offer gifts to Christ; and, in so doing, they make themselves exceedingly ridiculous, seeing that the Prophet speaks of all ranks of men. But they heap up, without judgment, all passages of this kind, in which mention is made of “gold” or “frankincense,” as if the prophets meant those gifts which the magi offered. (Matthew 2:11) But in this passage there is no obscurity; for it means that everywhere men shall call upon God, and all foreigners shall assemble to worship him.

They shall ascend to the good pleasure of my altar. Others render the words, “They shall ascend with good pleasure on my altar,” and think (not altogether without reason, in my opinion) that it is a figure of speech by which words interchange their cases with each other, and that. the Prophet means that those sacrifices which shall be offered by the Gentiles will be acceptable to God. Others interpret רצון (ratzon) as if it were an adjective, which does not agree with the correct use of the language; for רצון (ratzon) signifies benevolence or favor. For this reason I consider the rendering which I have given to be preferable; namely, that “sacrifices shall ascend to the good pleasure of the altar;” and the meaning may be brought out in this manner, “They shall ascend to appease God; as it is for this purpose that an altar has been appointed, and sacrifices are offered, that God may be reconciled and favorable to men; and God also, according to his promise, accepts the sacrifices that have been offered on his altar;” for at that time the “altar” was the approach to obtain God’s favor.

Here the Prophet plainly expresses three things. First, when he says that “the sacrifices ascend,” he alludes to the ancient ceremony, which was formerly observed by them in sacrifices; for they lifted up the slain beasts; by which they meant that all men ought to raise their hearts on high, that they might not keep their eyes fixed on the earth or look only at the sacrifice which was offered. Secondly, the Prophet says that those sacrifices are acceptable to God, that they may be distinguished from the profane offerings of the Gentiles, which were unaccompanied by faith. Thirdly, he says, “On the altar,” which alone can “sanctify the offerings,” (Matthew 23:19;) for all that was offered anywhere else was unholy and detestable. Besides, this figure ought to lead us to the truth; for Christ is the altar of God, and on him we must offer, if we wish that God should accept our sacrifices.

And I will glorify the house of my glory. Under the glorification of the temple he declares the true restoration of the people; for the chief part of their happiness was, that the temple should stand, in which men called on God in a right manner; and we must begin with this, that God reigns amongst us, by which we are made truly happy. For this reason, when the Lord declares that the Church shall be restored, he mentions the temple, the glory of which he will restore; as if he had said, “My house is now exposed to the mockery of the Gentiles, but I will at length restore to it that glory of which it has now been deprived.” It is evident from Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi, that this was not completed immediately after the return of the people. We must not imagine that its true dignity consisted in that splendid building by which Herod cunningly endeavored to gain favor; and therefore the dignity or honor, which is here mentioned, was not manifested till God opened the gate of heaven to Jerusalem, and then openly called all the Gentiles to the hope of eternal salvation.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 60

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because of the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of the Medes and Ephah; all they from Sheba [Saudi Arabia] shall come: they shall bring gold and incense ( Isaiah 60:1-6 );

And they're getting the gold right now.

and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the coasts shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious ( Isaiah 60:6-13 ).

Now with this prophecy of the glorious coming of the Messiah and the glory that shall come to Israel when Messiah comes, you can understand the difficulty that they had with Jesus Christ. Even His own disciples wondering when He was going to overthrow the Roman government. And His own disciples troubled when He talked to them about His crucifixion. When Jesus said to Peter, after Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, flesh and blood did not reveal this unto you but My Father which is in heaven. And I say unto you that thou art Peter (Petros, little stone). And upon this Petra, this rock, I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" ( Matthew 16:16-18 ). And then Jesus began to speak to them how that the Son of man must be rejected by men and turned over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and slain, and on the third day rise again. And Peter began to rebuke Him saying, "Lord, be that far from Thee." And Jesus said, "Get thee behind Me, Satan: you are an offense unto Me because you can't tell the difference between what comes from God and what comes from man" ( Matthew 16:22-23 ). When Jesus started talking about His rejection, about His death, Peter couldn't stand it. "Lord, don't talk like that. Be that far from Thee."

The Jews had great difficulty because here in chapter 53 of Isaiah, we read that He would be, "despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. We hid as it were our faces from Him, but surely He hath borne our griefs and He has carried our iniquities. And the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we were healed. For all of us like sheep had gone astray. We had turned every one of us to our own ways, but God had laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." And He was smitten and all. And these prophecies of the Messiah and the suffering. Now we read of the glorious glory that is going to come to Israel when the Redeemer comes. So it was only natural that the Jews had difficulty trying to correlate such opposing positions as were prophesied with the Messiah. So the way they settled these opposing positions was to spiritualize the suffering. And they only accepted and looked at those scriptures that spoke of the glory, of the reign of the Messiah. And they emphasized that aspect and spiritualized the others. The suffering, the death, the rejection, and all, they would just spiritualize those scriptures.

Now, as the result they failed to recognize their Messiah when He came, though He was definitely fulfilling their own scriptures. Next week as we get into chapter 61, we will see in the prophecy itself a definite division between the two comings of the Messiah. And it's just within one verse. There is a break and he immediately begins talking about the aspects of the second coming of Christ in contrast to the aspects of the first coming. Now Jesus, when He came to the synagogue in Capernaum and they handed Him the scriptures to read, opened the prophecy of Isaiah to what is to us the sixty-first chapter and He began to read to them. And He read the first part of the chapter, but He stopped suddenly, closed the scroll, and set it down. And looking around He said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your eyes."

That's a pretty heavy declaration. But the interesting thing is where He stopped, because He stopped right where the aspects of His first coming stopped. He did not go into the aspects that dealt with His second coming, "to proclaim the day of the vengeance and the wrath of God." That is yet to come. So He stopped before He got there. Now here again in chapter 60, we see the glorious reign of the Messiah and the prominence that Israel will have as the Gentiles will gather unto it, the nations and the strength of the nations will be brought unto it and a general bringing together of the people from all over the world and the glory that shall rest upon the nation. And this is what the disciples were constantly looking for.

After Jesus had risen from the dead and He said, "Now wait in Jerusalem until you receive the promise of the Father. For John indeed baptized you with the Holy Ghost but you're going to be baptized." I mean, "John indeed baptized you with water, but you're going to be baptized with the Holy Ghost in just a few days." And the disciples said, "Lord, is it at this time You're going to bring glory to the kingdom?" "Come on, it's not for you to know, the times and the seasons are appointed by the Father. We're not talking about that right now. We're talking about another issue. For you're going to receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you are to be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth." But even then they were still looking for this glory. The disciples were arguing, "Now when the Lord sets up the kingdom I'm going to be greater than you are." And they were disputing who was going to be the greatest. And the Lord said, "What are you guys arguing about?" "Oh, nothing." And that's when He said, "Whoever wants to be the greatest, let him become the servant of all." And He taught the way to greatness was the way of a servant, servanthood. Humbling yourself in the sight of the Lord that He might exalt you.

And so it was a problem with the disciples because you have passages like Isaiah 60:1-22 that tell of the glory and the people were true patriots. And they desired the glory to Israel. And they were looking for the Messiah to bring that glory, and when Jesus failed to do so, but instead submitted to the suffering of the cross, they couldn't handle it. Many of them forsook Him and fled. They were expecting the kingdom to be established immediately. They didn't know that God was going to use this interim of time to gather from among the Gentiles a body of believers which would be known as the body of Christ, the bride of Christ.

So he speaks of this glorious gathering. The gates being opened and then bringing the forces of the Gentiles. "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon will come; and I will make the place of My feet glorious."

The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bowing before thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel ( Isaiah 60:14 ).

The glory of Jerusalem in that day.

Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness ( Isaiah 60:15-17 ).

It'd be great to have righteous tax collectors.

Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise ( Isaiah 60:18 ).

Oh, what a glorious time and day and place when the city, the walls are called Salvation, the gates are called Praise. And so enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Where people will just come to worship the Lord in great celebrations. How glorious!

The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall be the moon give her light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: for I the LORD will hasten it in his time ( Isaiah 60:19-22 ).

So the Lord declares His purposes that He will accomplish in His time, the glorious restoration of God and the work of God among this people in this city and among this nation. Oh, what a day when the Messiah comes. And that's what the heart of the Jew is yearning for today. That's what the heart of the Christian is yearning for today, when God's righteousness shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea. The glorious day of the Lord and as we look at the world in which we live today we see more and more the need for God to intervene. We see the injustices that fill our earth. It seems that if a person does stand up for what is right, he stands alone. He's isolated and made fun of. So the time has come really for the Spirit of the Lord to lift up the standard against the enemy; for the Redeemer to return and to establish righteousness and His righteous kingdom upon this earth. God is seeking for justice, for judgment. God is seeking a people that will honor Him, not with their lips but with their hearts, with their actions. God is seeking a people that will serve Him with a pure heart. And God is open unto them and to their cry. But unto the wicked, there is no rest, there is no peace. God help us that we might live in a way that is pleasing unto Him. That we might know that peace of God. That our hearts might be established in His peace and in His love as we await the Messiah to come and for God's promises to be fulfilled in that Kingdom Age.

God bless you and God cause you to abound in His grace and in His love as we show ourselves merciful, understanding, patient and kind with those that are about us. May God help us that we will be His servants and His representatives as we lift those that are fallen. As we reach out to those that are oppressed. And as we share with them that which God has given and done for us. May God make us His instruments of righteousness in this needy world. God wondered that there was no intercessor, no one to stand up. God help us to be intercessors in these days. God bless you and God use you this week for His glory. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The nations drawn to Israel 60:1-9

Light would dawn on Israel, and as a result: the Gentiles would seek her out.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Isaiah saw other nations, ancient enemies of Israel, bring offerings typical of their way of life. Evidently there will be a literal temple and altar in Zion then (cf. Ezekiel 40-43). The sacrifices offered there will be for thanksgiving to God. God will glorify the millennial temple as the focal point of worship at this time. Isaiah’s vision of the future Jerusalem included a temple and altar (cf. Isaiah 60:13), but John’s vision of the future Jerusalem excluded both (Revelation 21:22). The solution is probably that Isaiah described the millennial city, and John the eternal city.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee,.... Nebaioth and Kedar were the sons of Ishmael, Genesis 25:13, Ishmael's twelve sons, of which Nebaioth was the eldest, inhabited all the country from Euphrates to the Red sea, calling it the Nabatene country, as Josephus b says; these design the Turks and Saracens, who shall now be converted. The Targum is,

"all the sheep of the Arabians shall be gathered unto thee;''

that is, these shall come with their sheep and rams, not to be offered up in sacrifice, for such sacrifices will not be used; but these, being the produce of the countries of these people, are mentioned to show, that being affected with the grace of God towards them, and influenced by it, will bring the best and chief of their substance to serve the interest of Christ, and glorify him with it:

they shall come up with acceptance on my altar; both they and their sacrifices and offerings will become acceptable to God through Christ, who is that altar that sanctifies every gift:

and I will glorify the house of my glory: with this large number of converts, and with the gifts and offerings they bring with them; the church is meant, which is the house of God, where he dwells and manifests his glory, the glory of himself, of his grace, and of his Gospel; see Jeremiah 30:19.

b Antiqu. I. 1. c. 12. sect 4.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.   2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.   3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.   4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.   5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.   6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD.   7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.   8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

      It is here promised that the gospel temple shall be very lightsome and very large.

      I. It shall be very lightsome: Thy light has come. When the Jews returned out of captivity they had light and gladness, and joy and honour; they then were made to know the Lord and to rejoice in his great goodness; and upon both accounts their light came. When the Redeemer came to Zion he brought light with him, he himself came to be a light. Now observe, 1. What this light is, and whence it springs: The Lord shall arise upon thee (Isaiah 60:2; Isaiah 60:2), the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 60:1; Isaiah 60:1) shall be seen upon thee. God is the father and fountain of lights, and it is in his light that we shall see light. As far as we have the knowledge of God in us, and the favour of God towards us, our light has come. When God appears to us, and we have the comfort of his favour, then the glory of the Lord rises upon us as the morning light; when he appears for us, and we have the credit of his favour, when he shows us some token for good and proclaims his favour to us, then his glory is seen upon us, as it was upon Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire. When Christ arose as the sun of righteousness, and in him the day-spring from on high visited us, then the glory of the Lord was seen upon us, the glory as of the first-begotten of the Father. 2. What a foil there shall be to this light: Darkness shall cover the earth; but, though it be gross darkness, darkness that might be felt, like that of Egypt, that shall overspread the people, yet the church, like Goshen, shall have light at the same time. When the case of the nations that have not the gospel shall be very melancholy, those dark corners of the earth being full of the habitations of cruelty to poor souls, the state of the church shall be very pleasant. 3. What is the duty which the rising of this light calls for: "Arise, shine; not only receive this light, and" (as the margin reads it) "be enlightened by it, but reflect this light; arise and shine with rays borrowed from it." The children of light ought to shine as lights in the world. If God's glory be seen upon us to our honour, we ought not only with our lips, but in our lives, to return the praise of it to his honour,Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:15.

      II. It shall be very large. When the Jews were settled again in their own land, after their captivity, many of the people of the land joined themselves to them; but it does not appear that there ever was any such numerous accession to them as would answer the fulness of this prophecy; and therefore we must conclude that this looks further, to the bringing of the Gentiles into the gospel church, not their flocking to one particular place, though under that type it is here described. There is no place now that is the centre of the church's unity; but the promise respects their flocking to Christ, and coming by faith, and hope, and holy love, into that society which is incorporated by the charter of his gospel, and of the unity of which he only is the centre--that family which is named from him, Ephesians 3:15. The gospel church is expressly called Zion and Jerusalem, and under that notion all believers are said to come to it (Hebrews 12:22. You have come unto Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem), which serves for a key to this prophecy, Ephesians 2:19. Observe,

      1. What shall invite such multitudes to the church: "They shall come to thy light and to the brightness of thy rising,Isaiah 60:3; Isaiah 60:3. They shall be allured to join themselves to thee," (1.) "By the light that shines upon thee," the light of the glorious gospel, which the churches hold forth, in consequence of which they are called golden candlesticks. This light which discovers so much of God and his good will to man, by which life and immortality are brought to light, this shall invite all the serious well-affected part of mankind to come and join themselves to the church, that they may have the benefit of this light to inform them concerning truth and duty. (2.) "By the light with which thou shinest." The purity and love of the primitive Christians, their heavenly-mindedness, contempt of the world, and patient sufferings, were the brightness of the church's rising, which drew many into it. The beauty of holiness was the powerful attractive by which Christ had a willing people brought to him in the day of his power,Psalms 110:3.

      2. What multitudes shall come to the church. Great numbers shall come, Gentiles (or nations) of those that are saved, as it is expressed with allusion to this, Revelation 21:24. Nations shall be discipled (Matthew 28:19), and even kings, men of figure, power, and influence, shall be added to the church. They come from all parts (Isaiah 60:4; Isaiah 60:4): Lift up thy eyes round about, and see them coming, devout men out of every nation under heaven,Acts 2:5. See how white the fields are already to the harvest,John 4:35. See them coming in a body, as one man, and with one consent: They gather themselves together, that they may strengthen one another's hands, and encourage one another. Come, and let us go,Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 2:3. "They come from the remotest parts: They come to thee from far, having heard the report of thee, as the queen of Sheba, or seen thy star in the east, as the wise men, and they will not be discouraged by the length of the journey from coming to thee. There shall come some of both sexes. Sons and daughters shall come in the most dutiful manner, as thy sons and thy daughters, resolved to be of thy family, to submit to the laws of thy family and put themselves under the tuition of it. They shall come to be nursed at thy side, to have their education with thee from their cradle." The church's children must be nursed at her side, not sent out to be nursed among strangers; there, where alone the unadulterated milk of the word is to be had, must the church's new-born babes be nursed, that they may grow thereby,1 Peter 2:1; 1 Peter 2:2. Those that would enjoy the dignities and privileges of Christ's family must submit to the discipline of it.

      3. What they shall bring with them and what advantage shall accrue to the church by their accession to it. Those that are brought into the church by the grace of God will be sure to bring all they are worth in with them, which with themselves they will devote to the honour and service of God and do good with in their places. (1.) The merchants shall write holiness to the Lord upon their merchandise and their hire, as Isaiah 23:18; Isaiah 23:18. "The abundance of the sea, either the wealth that is fetched out of the sea (the fish, the pearls) or that which is imported by sea, shall all be converted to thee and to thy use." The wealth of the rich merchants shall be laid out in works of piety and charity. (2.) The mighty men of the nations shall employ their might in the service of the church: "The forces, or troops, of the Gentiles shall come unto thee, to guard thy coasts, strengthen thy interests, and, if occasion be, to fight thy battles." The forces of the Gentiles had often been against the church, but now they shall be for it; for as God, when he pleases, can, and, when we please him, will, make even our enemies to be at peace with us (Proverbs 16:7), so, when Christ overcomes the strong man armed, he divides his spoils, and makes that to serve his interests which had been used against them, Luke 11:22. (3.) The wealth imported by land-carriage, as well as that by sea, shall be made use of in the service of God and the church (Isaiah 60:6; Isaiah 60:6): The camels and dromedaries that bring gold and incense (gold to make the golden altar of and incense and sweet perfumes to burn upon it), those of Midian and Sheba, shall bring the richest commodities of their country, not to trade with, but to honour God with, and not in small quantities, but camel-loads of them. This was in part fulfilled when the wise men of the east (perhaps some of the countries here mentioned), drawn by the brightness of the star, came to Christ, and presented to him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,Matthew 2:11. (4.) Great numbers of sacrifices shall be brought to God's altar, acceptable sacrifices, and, though brought by Gentiles, they shall find acceptance, Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 60:7. Kedar was famous for flocks, and probably the fattest rams were those of Nebaioth; these shall come up with acceptance on God's altar. God must be served and honoured with what we have, according as he has blessed us, and with the best we have. This was fulfilled when by the decree of Darius the governors beyond the rivers (perhaps of some of these countries) were ordered to furnish the temple at Jerusalem with bullocks, rams, and lambs, for the burnt-offering of the God of heaven,Ezra 6:9. It had a further accomplishment, and we trust will have, in the bringing in of the fulness of the Gentiles to the church, which is called the sacrificing or offering up of the Gentiles unto God, Romans 15:16. The flocks and rams are precious souls; for they are said to minister to the church, and to come up as living sacrifices, presenting themselves to God by a reasonable service on his altar,Romans 12:1.

      4. How God shall be honoured by the increase of the church and the accession of such numbers to it. (1.) They shall intend the honour of God's name in it. When they bring their gold and incense it shall not be to show the riches of their country, nor to gain applause to themselves for piety and devotion, but to show forth the praises of the Lord,Isaiah 60:6; Isaiah 60:6. Our greatest services and gifts to the church are not acceptable further than we have an eye to the glory of God in them. And this must be our business in our attendance on public ordinances, to give unto the Lord the glory due to his name; for therefore, as these here, we are called out of darkness into light, that we should show forth the praises of him that called us,1 Peter 2:9. (2.) God will advance the honour of his own name by it; so he has said (Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 60:7): I will glorify the house of my glory. The church is the house of God's glory, where he manifests his glory to his people and receives that homage by which they do honour to him. And it is for the glory of this house, and of him that keeps house there, both that the Gentiles shall bring their offerings to it and that they shall be accepted therein.

      5. How the church shall herself be affected with this increase of her numbers, Isaiah 60:5; Isaiah 60:5. (1.) She shall be in a transport of joy upon this account: "Thou shalt see and flow together" (or flow to and fro), "as in a pleasing agitation about it, surprised at it, but extremely glad of it." (2.) There shall be a mixture of fear with this joy: "Thy heart shall fear, doubting whether it be lawful to go in to the uncircumcised and eat with them." Peter was so impressed with this fear that he needed a vision and voice from heaven to help him over it, Acts 10:28. But, (3.) "When this fear is conquered thy heart shall be enlarged in holy love, so enlarged that thou shalt have room in it for all the Gentile converts; thou shalt not have such a narrow soul as thou hast had nor affections so confined within the Jewish pale." When God intends the beauty and prosperity of his church he gives this largeness of heart and an extensive charity. (4.) These converts flocking to the church shall be greatly admired (Isaiah 60:8; Isaiah 60:8): Who are these that fly as a cloud? Observe, [1.] How the conversion of souls is here described. It is flying to Christ and to his church, for thither we are directed; it is flying like a cloud, though in great multitudes, so as to overspread the heavens, yet with great unanimity, all as one cloud. They shall come with speed, as a cloud flying on the wings of the wind, and come openly, and in the view of all, their very enemies beholding them (Revelation 11:12), and yet not able to hinder them. They shall fly as doves to their windows, in great flights, many together; they fly on the wings of the harmless dove, which flies low, denoting their innocency and humility. They fly to Christ, to the church, to the word and ordinances, as doves, by instinct, to their own windows, to their own home; thither they fly for refuge and shelter when they are pursued by the birds of prey, and thither they fly for rest when they have been wandering and are weary, as Noah's dove to the ark. [2.] How the conversion of souls is here admired. It is spoken of with wonder and pleasure: Who are these? We have reason to wonder that so many flock to Christ: when we see them all together we shall wonder whence they all came. And we have reason to admire with pleasure and affection those that do flock to him: Who are these? How excellent, how amiable are they! What a pleasant sight is it to see poor souls hastening to Christ, with a full resolution to abide with him!