Isa 60.1-22 is a prophecy about the reversal of position between Israel and the nations. This chapter is full of Sukkot terms and concepts. Isa 51.9 through 52.1 are in Rosh Ha Shanah terms. Isa 57.14 through 58.14 is in Yom Kippur terms. Now we have Isa 60.1-22 in Sukkot terms such as “light”, “glory”, “the nations coming to your light.” Now that the redeemer and his salvation has come to Israel her glory is recognized among the nations after she has been smitten in the birth-pains (tribulation). She is pictured as being on the ground but is commanded to “rise and shine” and reflect the light that comes from Yehovah. The non-Jews are coming to Israel in fulfillment of many prophecies.
v 1…Arise and shine; for your (Israel) light (a term for the truth, a revealing, the Messiah, Sukkot and the Messianic Kingdom-Psa 27/1) has come (John 1.4-5; Dan 2.22; 1 John 1.5), and the glory (kivod) of the Lord has risen upon you (Israel’s recovery has come and she must rise up from the ground like when the sun spreads its light in the morning and we arise).
v 2…For behold, darkness (night, ignorance) will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples (like in Egypt), but the Lord (Messiah) will rise upon you (Mal 4.2; Luke 1.78; Rev 22.16), and his glory (Isa 4.5) will appear upon you (be noticeable and a Sukkot term).
v 3…And nations (the non-Jews) will come to your light (Messiah), and kings to the brightness of your rising (allured by the Torah, justice, mercy and wonder of it and we have many Sukkot terms and concepts here-Rev 21.24).
v 4…Lift up your eyes (from your grief) and see; they (the non-Jews) all gather together, they come to you; your sons (sons of Israel) will come from afar (from the dispersion) and your daughters will be carried in the arms (Isa 49.22, 66.18-21).
v 5…Then you will see and be radiant (associated with the kivod, like Moses in Exo 34.29), and your heart will thrill and rejoice because the abundance of the sea (world) will be turned to you, and the wealth (riches) of the nations (the non-Jews) will come to you (to disperse to the glory of Yehovah).
v 6…A multitude of camels (traders) will cover you (traveling), the young camels of Midian and Ephah (northern Arabia); all those from Sheba will come; they will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news (the “basar” because they acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah) of the praises of the Lord (Yehovah).
v 7…All the flocks of Kedar (he was the second son of Ishmael-Gen 25.13) will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth (the first son of Ishmael-Gen 25.13) will minister to you; they will go up (to worship) with acceptance on my altar (saved out of Islam they follow the Torah and offer korbanot in the Messianic temple seen by Ezekiel), and I shall beautify (Hebrew “apha’er) the house of my beauty (Hebrew (“tiferet” or the Temple).
v 8…Who are these who fly like a cloud (In the Peshat or literal level, these are the exiles coming home will come like clouds flying in the wind. In the Sowd or hidden level they are a type of the believer in white robes together like clouds. An allusion to this is seen in Heb 12.1 where the “ancestors” are meant, as in Matt 8.11. This is called the “clouds of glory” or “guests” meaning “Ushpizin.” We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who revive us, dropping teaching upon us as rain and dew from a cloud, to comfort us during the dry times of persecution and life in this world), and like doves (in white) returning to their lattices (exiles are believers coming back to the land and Messiah in white robes-Rev 1.7-8, 19.14).
v 9…Surely the coastlands (remote areas from Israel) will wait for me (the Targum says, “For my word” and his coming); and the ships of Tarshish will come (the sea) to bring your sons (the Jewish exiles) from afar, their silver and their gold with them (like when they left Egypt. This called the “ingathering” and alludes to Sukkot-Exo 23.16), for the name of the Lord (Yehovah) your God, and for the Holy One of Israel because he has glorified you (Israel and the Kahal of God, the corporate body).
v 10…And foreigners (nekarim-who not only helped bring the exiles home but gave gifts to them) will build up your walls (Jerusalem-Isa 54.11-17, 62.1-12) and their kings will minister to you (in service); for in my wrath I struck you, and in my favor I have had compassion on you (Rom 11.25-26),
v 11…And your gates will be open continually (no enemies); they will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession (inwardly conquered).
v 12…For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish (Zech 14.18), and the nations will be utterly ruined.
v 13…The glory of Lebanon (the trees) will come to you, the juniper, the box tree, and the cypress together (this also alludes to people of different ranks), to beautify the place of my sanctuary (used to build the Temple in Ezek 40-48); and I shall make the place of my feet glorious (the Temple is God’s throne).
v 14…And the sons (the father’s died) of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, and all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet (like Joseph’s brothers did); and they will call you the city of the Lord (Heb 12.22 or the city of Yehovah), the Zion of the Holy One of Israel (Gal 4.27; Rev 21.9-10).
v 15…Whereas you have been forsaken and hated (Zion is transformed from desolation now) with no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, a joy from generation to generation.
v 16…You will also suck the milk of nations (their wealth-Deut 33.19) and will suck the breast of kings (to help “nurse” Israel); then you will know that I, the Lord (Yehovah), am your savior, and your redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.
v 17…Instead of bronze (inexpensive building material) I will bring gold (expensive building material for the New Jerusalem), and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood (that burns), bronze, and instead of stones, iron (notice that the building materials are all metal, meaning indestructible). And I will make peace your administrators, and righteousness your overseers (this is an allegory and it is clear that Isaiah does not mean to have his words taken literally here).
v 18…Violence will not be heard again in the land (safety), nor devastation or destruction within your borders (no enemies within); but you will call your walls salvation (of God), and your gates praise (Hebrew “tehillah”, the word for the Psalms; the defenses of the city is praise like Elijah was to Israel in 2 Kings 2.11-12).
v 19…No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord (Yehovah) for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory (this doesn’t mean that there won’t be any sun or moon, but God’s glory will eclipse their light-Isa 30.18-26; Gen 1.3; Zech 14.7; Rev 21.25, 22.5; Isa 24.23. These are all Sukkot terms)
v 20…Your sun (Yehovah is a different sun) will set no more, neither will your moon wane (The Kahal is strong and will be strong and there will be no night (ignorance) there-Rev 21.25), for you will have the Lord for an everlasting light (uninterrupted; no ignorance), and the days of your mourning will be finished (completed, at an end-Rev 21.4).
v 21…Then all your people (Israel) will be righteous (the basis for Rom 11.26); they will possess the land forever (without fear of destruction and exile), the branch (fruit) of my planting-Isa 4.1, 11.1), the work (creation) of my hands, that I may be glorified (to glorify me, the goal of his mercy).
v 22…The smallest one will become a thousand (Matt 19.30, 20.16; Mark 10.31; Luke 13.30), and the least one, a mighty nation; I, the Lord (Yehovah), will hasten it (the Kingdom of God, which is the rule or movement of God in power and action confronting the people) in its time (So we are going to look at this verse in some detail and discuss a possible scenario. In the Midrash Rabbah there is an interesting look at this verse. It says that although there is a fixed date for the Messianic Kingdom, it could be “hastened”-Talmud, Sanhedrin 96a-97b. An offer of the kingdom was to be made around the year 4000 from creation according to the rabbis, and that coincides with the time when Yeshua came. The only requirement was a national or corporate “teshuvah” or repentance-Deut 30.1-6. In the Talmud Sanhedrin 98a, Rabbi Alexander said that Joshua Ben Levi pointed out a contradiction. They understood this verse to mean, “I will hasten the kingdom if they are worthy, if not, it will come in its due time.” All of this is soaked in Sukkot terms. Yeshua offers the kingdom in Matt 11.12 and Luke 16.16, Yochanon Ha Matvil, or John the Immerser, announced it in Matt 3.2, so did Yeshua in Matt 4.17 and Mark 1.14-15. Matt 21.43 says that in order for the kingdom to be “taken away” it had to be offered. After studying with Yeshua for 40 days after his resurrection in Acts 1.3, they ask him if the kingdom would be restored “at this time” to Israel. But Yeshua said it was not for them to know in Acts 1.6-7. The kingdom of God or the Lord is the restored kingdom of Israel-Jer 23.5-6; Isa 9.6-7,11; 1 Chr 28.5; 2 Chr 13.8. The kingdom was there if the people in the first century repented. Yeshua proclaimed the kingdom throughout his ministry in Matt 12.28; Luke 10.9, 11, 11.20, 1721; Mark 12.34. He even sent the talmudim to proclaim it in Matt 10.7. He said if the people received it, then Yochanon would have fulfilled the role of Elijah in Matt 11.14. But the kingdom was rejected because repentance was required. Yeshua and the believers would not “dance” for the flute players-Matt 11.18-19. Matt 21.43 says that the kingdom would be taken away from those he was speak to and given to others. But the offer was extended beyond the crucifixion as seen in Peter’s words in Acts 3.19-21. If Israel entered into a national repentance, even then Messiah would have returned to restore the kingdom of Yehovah to Israel. But that offer expired in Acts 28.17-28. Corporate repentance did not occur. Paul made known that the kingdom offer had expired, and salvation has been sent to the non-Jews and this parallels Rom 11. Now we enter into what is called Paul’s “Mystery of the Olive Tree Theology.” Rom 11 teaches that when the kingdom offer expired wild branches would be grafted in, and in the future the natural branches would be brought in, bringing unity between the Jews and non-Jews, a “mystery” concealed but now revealed. This is because the time period in Dan 9.24-27 is 70 weeks and Daniel accounts for no space between the time of Messiah and the birth-pains. That is why there was so much expectancy in the first century because they knew the time was at hand for the coming of Messiah according to Daniel. There was a mystery. Had the kingdom been accepted in the first century, then Daniel’s last seven years may have been fulfilled during the years 63 to 70 A.D. These years, in many ways, would fulfill end-time prophecies. That’s why so many “post-millennials” and “preterists” claim the events of the first century were fulfilled. It is possible these years would have been Daniel’s final week, had the kingdom been accepted. According to Yeshua, John the Immerser would have fulfilled the role of Elijah and so on. Why did the kingdom expire? In 63 A.D. Jacob Ha Tzaddik, or James the righteous, was killed and he was very popular with the people. Many were believing in Yeshua and joining the “Nazarenes” or the “Way” movement, which was a Torah-based faith in Yeshua. The movement lost steam and groups began to be polarized, bringing an end to the “hastening.” Paul was killed very soon after possibly, but there is no scriptural record of how Paul died. No chance for the kingdom now through a national acceptance. This was also the year Acts 28.28 took place. But Yehovah still promised that the kingdom, if not hastened, would come in its due time, based on our verse in Isa 60.22. The Apostles knew, after studying the kingdom of Yehovah with Yeshua for 40 days, that it was going to be restored to Israel).
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