Isaiah 60:11
Ver. 11. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually,.... This is expressive both of the peaceable state of the church, that she shall be in no danger, nor fear of enemies; there being none to hurt and destroy in all the holy mountain; and therefore under no concern to keep her gates shut; see Eze 38:11 and of the vast concourse of people to it continually; converts from all parts shall be always coming in, and the gates of the church will stand open always to receive them; they will be welcome, come as many as will; there will be no objection to them, no hinderance of them; ministers and people will gladly embrace them; see Isa 26:2 and likewise of the capacity of the church to receive them; for though they will be continually coming in great numbers, yet still there will be room; the gates will not be shut upon them, as unable to receive more; place will be given for them to dwell in; her tents will be enlarged; the curtains of her habitation stretched out; her cords lengthened, and stakes strengthened; so that though she breaks forth on the right hand, and on the left, there will be room for them all, Isa 54:2,they shall not be shut day nor night; this clause is referred to in Re 21:25 but there differently expressed,and the gates of it shall not be shut at all day, for there shall be no night there; the reason of which difference is, because the New Jerusalem state, or personal reign of Christ, will be a perfect state, and no night at all in it; but the spiritual reign of Christ, to which this prophecy relates, will be an imperfect one, though glorious; and therefore mention is made both of day and night:that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles; the whole strength of them, their armies; See Gill on "Isa 60:5". The Targum paraphrases it, the substance of the people, their wealth and riches:and that their kings may be brought; or "led" {d}, either in state, as kings on horseback sometimes are, or rather as captives in chains; see Isa 20:4, so the Targum renders it, "bound"; being conquered by mighty grace, and led in chains of love to Christ, and to his church, and become obedient. Kimchi has this note,"they shall come before the King Messiah, as servants before their masters.''{d} Mygwhn "ducti", Vatablus, Calvin; "ducantur", Tigurine version; "ductos", Cocceius. Isaiah 60:12Ver. 12. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish,.... That will not serve the Lord Christ, and worship him with his church and people; that will not be obedient to the laws and ordinances of his house; but appoint another head over them, the pope of Rome; and make other laws, and set up other ordinances, rejecting the authority of Christ, the rule of his word, and the order of his churches:yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted; even all the antichristian states, when the vials of God's wrath will be poured out upon them; see Zec 14:17. Isaiah 60:13Ver. 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee,.... Which are the trees that grew upon it, especially the cedars, for which it was famous, as well as the other trees after mentioned. Now, as these were brought into Solomon's temple, and used in the building of that, 1Ki 6:9, so such shall come of themselves, willingly and cheerfully, being drawn with the cords of love, into the church of Christ, comparable to the tall and strong cedars of Lebanon, and other trees, being eminent for their gifts and graces, and strong in the exercise of them; the more feeble among them being as the house of David, and that as the Angel of the Lord; and being durable, constant, and immovable in the work of the Lord; pillars in his house that shall never go out; ever green and flourishing; never wither in their profession, and always fruitful in every good word and work; of a good smell in the exercise of grace; of savoury conversations, and of a good report in the world; see Ps 107:12:the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together; which may denote persons of different ranks and sizes, both as to worldly and spiritual affairs; and yet will all agree to come together to the church, and will unite in the service and worship of God in it, and be a real glory to it; see Isa 41:19:to beautify the place of my sanctuary; the church, so called in allusion to the tabernacle and temple; and thus the Targum here,"the place of the house of my sanctuary;''where the holy God dwells; and which is sanctified by him, and where he is sanctified, and worshipped in a holy and spiritual manner; and which will be beautified in the latter day, when the saints that will come into the church will put on by faith more manifestly the beautiful garments of Christ's righteousness; and be more visibly adorned with the graces of his Spirit, which will shine like so many brilliant diamonds and sparkling gems; and will appear in the beauties of a holy conversation; walk in brotherly love with each other, and unite in sentiments of doctrine, and in acts of Gospel worship; and when the Gospel shall be purely and powerfully preached; the ordinances administered as they were in the times of Christ and his apostles; and Gospel discipline in all its branches restored:and I will make the place of my feet glorious; alluding to the ark under the mercy seat, over which were the cherubim, and between which Jehovah dwelt, hence called his footstool, 1Ch 28:2, denoting that the church is the place where the Lord grants his presence through Christ, the antitype of the mercy seat and ark; and which is the seat of his rest and residence; where he takes his walks, and where his footsteps of rich grace are seen; where his lower parts, his feet, his works, and acts of grace, are beheld; where he favours with communion with himself; where his power and glory are observed, and his beauty is upon his people; where they see the King in his beauty, and all which will be more manifestly enjoyed in the latter day, and make his church very glorious indeed. Isaiah 60:14Ver. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee,.... The posterity of the Jews, who persecuted the first Christian churches, even those who say they are Jews and are not; these shall be convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, and be converted to it, and shall come and worship before the church, and in fellowship with it, and own it to be the true church of God; which is what is foretold shall be in the Philadelphian state, which is the same with the spiritual reign here described; see Re 3:9 or the children of the Roman Heathens, their remote descendants, who formerly greatly distressed the Christians; or rather the posterity of Rome Papal, many of whom shall be called out of her at the time of her destruction, and be humble suppliants to the church of Christ, and be subject to the doctrines, rules, and laws of it, whose ancestors cruelly persecuted it:and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; a phrase expressive of great respect, veneration, and submission; see Isa 49:23:and they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel; instead of calling them heretics, schismatics, and fanatics, as their fathers did, they shall own them to be the true church of Christ; a city of his building, and where he dwells; the object of his choice, delight, and love, as Zion was; a holy people made meet to be the habitation of the God of Israel; which are so many names for the church under the Gospel dispensation; see Heb 12:22. Isaiah 60:15Ver. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken,.... Seemingly forsaken of God; thought to be so by herself, which was matter of complaint; and by her enemies, which to them was matter of joy; the Lord not appearing for her immediate relief, and for her deliverance out of the hands of her persecutors:and hated: of all men, of wicked and profane sinners, and of carnal professors, and especially of the antichristian party:so that no man went through thee; very few passengers in Zion's ways; few asked the way to her, or joined themselves in fellowship and worship with her. Jacob was small; the number of converts exceeding few:I will make thee an eternal excellency; the saints are the excellent in the earth, in the esteem of God and Christ; they, are their jewels and peculiar treasure, having the excellent graces of the Spirit of God in them; and the excellent robe of Christ's righteousness on them; an excellent knowledge of divine and spiritual things; an excellent spirit of love and unity; and an excellent order and discipline maintained among them; as well as excellent truths preached, and ordinances administered to them; all which shall continue, being made clearly to appear to be their case:the joy of many generations; of age and age {e}; or, as the Targum,"the house of joy of generation and generation;''that is, the church will be the joy of God and Christ, of the saints, and of the whole world, age after age, for a long period of time: see Isa 65:18 there seems to be some respect to Ps 48:2.{e} rwdw rwd "generationis et generationis", Vatablus, Pagninas, Montanus; "cujusque generationis", Vitringa. Isaiah 60:16Ver. 16. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles,.... Partake of their riches and wealth; so the Targum,"and ye shall be satisfied with the substance of the people:''or drink of the sincere milk of the word of the Gospel, which Gentiles have been favoured with for many ages; for this seems to have regard to Jewish converts, though not to them only, but as they, with the converted Gentiles, will make up one church state, and partake of the same privileges:and shall suck the breast of kings; who shall now be converted in various places, come into the church, and be nursing fathers to it; help and assist the people of God with their riches to carry on divine worship in an honourable manner; and to protect and defend them with their power; see Ps 72:9. The Targum is,"in the spoil of kings ye shall delight yourselves;''and it may also design the breasts of consolation, the ordinances of the Gospel, such as Christian kings will suck, and Jews and Gentiles shall do the same, Isa 66:11,and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob; the Jews, being called, shall seek the Lord their God, the true Messiah, and shall look unto him by faith, whom they have pierced; shall know, own, and acknowledge him to be their Redeemer and Saviour; who must be fit and qualified for such an office and work, and equal to it, being the mighty One of Jacob, whom before they and their ancestors rejected and despised. Isaiah 60:17Ver. 17. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron,.... By "wood and stones" may be meant the Old Testament dispensation; by the "brass and iron" the present Gospel dispensation; and by "silver and gold" the latter day glory; by "silver" the spiritual reign of Christ in his church; and by "gold" his personal reign in the New Jerusalem; which is said to be all of pure gold, and even the very street of it, Re 21:18, now, as far as brass and iron exceed wood and stones, so far the Gospel dispensation exceeds the legal one; the one being the shadow, the other the substance; the one having carnal ordinances, which are done away; the other spiritual ones, which remain; and as far as silver and gold exceed brass and iron, so far the glory of the latter day will exceed the present state of things, in clear light, in spiritual grace and strength, in purity of doctrine and worship, in holiness of life, and in love, peace, and unity; and as far as gold exceeds silver, so far, and much more, will the personal reign of Christ, which will be perfectly glorious, exceed the spiritual one. There may be an allusion to the times of Solomon, a type of Christ, 1Ki 10:27. This, by some Jewish writers {f}, is applied to the times of the Messiah they yet expect. The Targum is,"for the brass which they spoiled thee of, O Jerusalem, I will bring gold, &c.''I will also make thine officers peace; civil magistrates shall be men of peaceable dispositions, who shall promote peace and unity in kingdoms, states, cities, towns, and neighbourhoods; they shall be properly justices of peace; they will answer to their office, and the title of it. Church officers or ministers of the word shall publish the Gospel of peace in the clearest manner; and the peace of God shall rule in the hearts of all the saints; there will be abundance of temporal and of spiritual peace, promoted by each of the officers of church and state; see Ps 72:7:and thine exactors righteousness; even tax gatherers, who used to be the worst of people for injustice and oppression, these shall do nothing but what is right and just; nor will there be any reason to complain of them. The Septuagint render it "bishops" or "overseers" {g}, pastors of churches, who shall be truly ministers of righteousness; preach up the doctrine of justification by Christ's righteousness; and instruct persons to live soberly, righteously, and godly.{f} Caphtor Uperah, fol. 57. 2. {g} episkopouv. Isaiah 60:18Ver. 18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land,.... It shall be no more committed; no instances of it will be heard of, or any complaints concerning it; neither public nor private oppression: antichristian persecution will now be at an end; those that destroyed the earth with violence and oppression shall be no more; "there will be none to hurt in all the holy mountain", Isa 11:9:wasting nor destruction within thy borders; no more wars, nor rumours of wars; no more blood shed; no more depopulation of cities, nor destruction of the lives of men; the whore of Rome will have drank up her full cup; and the vials of wrath being poured out upon the antichristian states, there will be a profound peace, and the greatest prosperity everywhere; especially in all those places where the churches of Christ will be, who will no more be exposed to the cruelty of their enemies:but thou shall call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise; or, "call Salvation thy walls, and Praise thy gates" {h}; having no need of any other walls but the salvation of God, temporal and spiritual; nor of any other gates but the praise that will be in the hearts and mouths of the saints, on account of it; though temporal salvation may be included, which will be for walls and bulwarks to the church: yet spiritual and eternal salvation is chiefly meant, which flows from the invariable love of God; is founded upon his unalterable purpose; secured in the act of electing grace; established in the covenant; and completely wrought out by Christ, who has vanquished every enemy, procured every blessing; and whose almighty power, as well as his divine Father's, is and will be concerned for the safety of his people; who will now be in great numbers in the gates of Zion; praising the Lord for electing, redeeming, calling, pardoning, and justifying grace; and for the privileges of the house of the Lord they are admitted to; and for the communion they have with him there; see Isa 26:1. The Targum is,"and they shall proclaim salvation on thy walls, and on thy gates there shall be they that praise.''{h} hlht Kyrevw Kytmx hewvy tarqw "vocabis salutem muros tuos, et portas tuas laudem", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version. Isaiah 60:19Ver. 19. The sun shall be no more thy light by day,.... Here begins the account of the sinless, pure, and perfect state of the church in the personal reign of Christ, even the New Jerusalem church state, as appears from the use of these very words, in the description of that state, Re 21:23 where it is read, "and the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof"; and in like manner the Targum renders these words,"and ye shall have no need any more of the light of the sun by day, nor even of the light of the moon by night;''and so both Aben Ezra and Jarchi interpret it,"ye shall have no need of the light of the sun;''and the former adds, because of the light of the Shechinah; and which seems to be the meaning of the next clause:neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; that is, because of the exceeding brightness, splendour, and lustre of the divine majesty of Christ, who will appear personally among his people, neither sun nor moon will be able to give any light: as the light of a candle is made useless and unnecessary by the light of the sun, so the light of the sun and moon will be made useless and unnecessary by the vastly superior light and glory of Christ; see Isa 24:23, though the sun and moon may be understood here mystically, not of civil magistrates, who are sometimes signified by these luminaries; and who also will be no more used when this dispensation or personal reign of Christ shall take place; see Isa 13:10, but rather of the Gospel and Gospel ordinances, which the church will no more stand in need of to enlighten, teach, and instruct them, refresh and comfort them, having the immediate presence of Christ with them, as follows:but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light; that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, as it is interpreted in the above cited place in the Revelation; who, as he is the author of the light of nature, and of the light of grace, so of the light of glory in this state, and to all eternity; then will the saints in this light behold the face of God, which is not to be seen now; they shall see Christ in all his glory, in the glory of his Father, and of his holy angels; all the glorious forms, the angels of heaven, and all the saints, those spirits of just then made perfect, that shall come with Christ, and be clothed with glorious bodies; even the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, having the glory of God upon her; likewise all the doctrines of grace, now not so clearly understood; and all the mysteries of Providence, which will be laid open, and made manifest; and this clear light will continue for ever; there will be no more night, but one everlasting day:and thy God thy glory; it is the saints' glory that God is their God; and it will be their glory in this state to have the God-man Jesus Christ personally with them; the tabernacle of God will be among them; God himself shall be with them, and be their God; and his glory shall lighten them, Re 21:3. Isaiah 60:20Ver. 20. Thy sun shall no more go down,.... This is a different sun from the former; this is the church's sun, and no other than the sun of righteousness, Christ Jesus; who has his risings and settings now, at least, in the apprehensions of his people; he sometimes withdraws himself, and is gone; and then returns again: but so it will not be in this state: the saints shall be for ever with him, and he shall be for ever with them; who will always behold his glory, and be enlightened by him; see 1Th 4:16:neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; or, "shall not be gathered" {i}, under a cloud; or "fail" {k}, as the Septuagint version; or, "suffer a defect", as the Arabic version; as the moon does when in the wane, or is eclipsed. This may refer to this then present state of the church, which shall not fail; and to the blessings and comforts of it from Christ the sun, which will not cease, the enjoyment of them be ever interrupted. The Targum is,"thy kingdom shall cease no more, and thy glory shall not be removed;''and so Maimonides {l} interprets it of the kingdom of the Messiah, that shall endure for ever:for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light; this is repeated for the confirmation of it:and the days of thy mourning shall be ended {m}; or, "completed"; shall be fully up, and so at an end: or, "shall be recompensed" {n}; with an everlasting day of joy and pleasure; there will now be no more sin to distress the saints; no more temptations of Satan to annoy them; no more afflictions either of body or mind to trouble them; no more pain, or crying, or death; and so no more mourning; sorrow and sighing will flee away; all tears will be wiped from their eyes; and everlasting joy be upon their heads; see Re 21:4.{i} Poay "non colligetur", Montanus, Vitringa; "vel recolligetur", Vatablus; "occultabitur", Munster, Tigurine version. {k} ouk ekleiqein, Sept. "deficiet", Pagninus. {l} Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 29. p. 263. {m} wmlv "completi erunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "completisunt", Vitringa. {n} "Compensabuntur", Tigurine version. Isaiah 60:21Ver. 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous,.... That is, the church's people, or the members of the church; otherwise the Lord's people, who are truly so, always were, and ever will be, all righteous; but so have not always been the members of the churches; when Israel was the church of God, they were not all righteous; there was only a remnant among them, according to the election of grace, that were so; nor in the first Christian churches were they all such, there was a Judas among Christ's disciples; Ananias and Sapphira in the church at Jerusalem; and many in the church of Corinth, very disorderly and irregular; and so in all others; and in all ages since there are foolish virgins among the wise, tares among the wheat, and chaff among the corn on the floor; yea, even in the spiritual reign of Christ they will not be all truly gracious; some that will have only a form of godliness, and who, at the close of it, will be the greater number, and will form the lukewarm Laodicean state; but in the personal reign of Christ all the members of the church will be righteous, through the righteousness of Christ imputed to them: it will be a congregation of righteous persons, and not one sinner shall stand in it; yea, they shall be inherently righteous, perfectly holy, and free from sin; none shall enter into this state that defiles; every pot and vessel in Jerusalem shall be holiness to the Lord, Ps 1:5. The Jews {o} have a saying, that the son of David comes not but in an age in which men will be all righteous, or all wicked; in an age in which they will be all righteous, according to Isa 60:21, but this designs not his first, but his second coming:they shall inherit the land for ever; not the land of Canaan only; though perhaps that may be the spot on which Christ will descend, and where he will reside; where he was treated with contempt and crucified, here he will reign, and reign gloriously; and the rather, since, when he comes with all his saints, his feet will stand upon the mount of Olives, Zec 14:4 but the new earth is meant, which John saw, and Peter says the saints expect, according to promise, in which righteousness men perfectly righteous shall dwell, and none but they, Re 21:1 as also it may include a better country, the land afar off, the heavenly glory, which will be the inheritance of the saints to all eternity:the branch of my planting; in Christ by election grace; in the likeness of his death and resurrection by redemption grace; and as branches in him, the Vine, by effectual calling grace; and in his church, through the ministry of the word; all which will appear true and real; and that they are plants of the Lord's planting, by their being in this church state, even in the paradise of God, near to the tree of life, the fruit of which they will always partake of:the work of my hands; the workmanship of God, curiously wrought by him; the effect of his mighty power; wholly his own work and not another's; and entirely owing to his great love, abundant mercy, and rich grace; as will be evident in this state; this being the day of the Lord unto which it is performed, and become perfect; and there will be no more doubts of that matter:that I may be glorified; as he will be then in all them that believe; and by these characters which they bear, and are to be ascribed to his power, grace, and righteousness; Christ, and he alone, will be exalted; he will reign before his ancients gloriously, until he delivers up the kingdom; and then God, Father, Son, and Spirit, will be all in all.{o} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 1. Isaiah 60:22Ver. 22. A little one shall become a thousand,.... A small family, a little handful of people in all ages, scattered up and down in the world, of no esteem and account in it, being all gathered together, that ever were in the world, will appear to be thousands and millions, and such a number as no man can number, Re 7:9and a small one a strong nation; a company of weak persons, persecuted by their enemies, and unable to resist them, as in the present state: now there will be a nation of them strong and mighty; the feeble among them shall be as David, and the house of David as God, as the Angel of the Lord, Zec 12:8:I the Lord will hasten it in his time: as there was a fixed appointed time for Christ's first coming, so there is for his second coming, when this state and dispensation of things will commence; and when that time comes, it will be deferred no longer; as soon as ever it is up, the Lord will hasten the accomplishment of what he has promised, and who is able also to perform; see 1Ti 6:15.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.