Today, as we begin in chapter 60, God keeps telescoping time so be aware that we will be jumping in some verses from Isaiah's day (about 700 BC) to Jesus day (about 33 AD) to the end of time at least thousands of years after Isaiah.
Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you. Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious. Isaiah 60:10-13
These verses point to a restoration and we did see that in the time of Nehemiah. The verses also indicate a time of blessing like the reign of David or Solomon. Remember the reference to Tarshish just last week because of the shipping trade. In these verses the security of the nation is shown by the open gates. Like Solomon's day, the nations bring their wealth and their best products for the temple. God's foot rest is an expanding concept in Scripture. First, it is the Ark of the Covenant (Psalm 132:7; 1 Chronicles 28:2). Secondly, it is the Temple (Ezekiel 43:7). Thirdly, it is the entire world (Isaiah 66:1). Here the Isaiah focus is on the Temple first but then in Jesus' day there is a focus on his actual feet in the actual Temple that was prepared between Nehemiah's day and Jesus' day. Then as God pulls the Church out of all nations and races of mankind we have the earth as His footstool.
The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:14-16
Now we are beginning a jump to the end times. I don't want to belittle the restoration that has occurred but we have yet to see this fully worked out in the nation Israel prior to Jesus or the Church post Jesus. So in the kingdom age, regardless of your millennial persuasion, there will be no constant fighting between Israel and other nations. On the contrary the relationship will be intimate and God will be uniformly acknowledged as Savior and Redeemer.
Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. 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. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. Isaiah 60:17-20
This is clearly an end times or eschatological verse that begins poetically by describing how God will raise the level of blessing so that only metals are used in building. No stones or wood will be used in building. In Isaiah's day, this is a very blessed and wealthy way to go. They are driven and motivated by peace and righteousness. No violence or destruction is present. They wall of protection is Salvation. The gates of commerce are Praise. No sun or moon is present but only God and the light of His glory. So this is another partial picture of the millennial rule of Christ over His Church.
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it. Isaiah 60:21-22
This continues the millennial blessings and seems to indicate that no unbelievers will be present or at least no tares will be growing with the wheat. In any case it is all God's work that He will be glorified and He promises to do it in the right time.
Now sometimes Jesus will help us out and tell us specifically when a prophecy is fulfilled. I'm going to stop at a comma on verse 2 of Chapter 61. It will likely be the only time I stop in the middle of a verse in this approximately 1 year study of Isaiah. But I'm stopping because Christ stopped.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, Isaiah 61:1-2a
After His 40 day fast Jesus started His ministry and He read these verses in Nazareth, sat down, and then said "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in you hearing." We know for sure when this one was fulfilled. However, notice that it came right after a portion that telescoped to the end of time. That is typical but at least we have Christ's own words telling us when this one was fulfilled.
Note that Jesus stopped in mid-verse. Now this comma is a long comma. Many people say that this is a 2000+ year comma but I think it may be best to think of it as a 40 year comma. I think you'll likely decide based on your millennial view.
… and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. Isaiah 61:2b-3
I think that the context fits better with an interpretation of a 40 year comma. The "day of vengeance of our God" would then indicate the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Then the following verses describe the establishment of the Church. Jesus stopped where He did on purpose because it wasn't yet the day of vengeance or for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would come after His resurrection (after Easter). We can see that God did plant oaks of righteousness for us in the early Church so that those pastorates, and we after them, have enjoyed the gifts of beauty, gladness, praise, and righteousness. I think that we clearly see the way in which the establishment of the Church was comfort to those who mourn in Zion. They didn't expect the resurrection and they were hiding in an upper room even after the resurrection. It was Pentecost (May 23, 2010 this year) when the Holy Spirit empowered us as a body to accomplish the works that God has called us to do.
They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. Isaiah 61:4-6
The Church rapidly began to be a group of strangers and foreigners who were being blest and built up spiritually into the dwelling place of God. We are priests and ministers by God's calling and power and the wealth and glory of the nations are their people and we call them into the Kingdom.
Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. Isaiah 61:7-9
God's work on the Cross frees us from shame and we have a double portion don't we. Our sins are forgiven and His righteousness imputed to us. We learn to rejoice in our lot and then in our eternal land we'll have a double portion and everlasting joy. God loves justice and without Him it has no meaning on this planet. God's covenant with us is everlasting and we have the confidence that we'll be kept safe through to eternity and not fall away. As the Church we are to be a light on a hill. From age to age the nations will be able to look on the true church and acknowledge that we are the offspring of Abraham and that God has blessed us.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. Isaiah 61:10-11
What else could we say than this for Easter Sunday? Blessed be the Holy One of God. He has looked on our condition and given us a crown on our head instead of the ashes that should be there. He has made us a Holy Nation, a Royal Priesthood. God has caused us to sprout up in His imputed righteousness and praise to come out of our mouths by His power in Spirit and in truth. He is risen. He is risen indeed.
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