The Righteous Redeemed Recognized Series

ISAIAH 60: 10-18

THE RIGHTEOUS REDEEMED RECOGNIZED

[Matthew 25:31-46]

God is in control of history and He will accomplish His plan and fulfill His promises. For those who follow God He also weaves the events of life together into something that will one day truly be amazing.

God promises His favor upon Zion. If His people Israel will be faithful, the day will come when He will reverse the fortunes of the people of Zion. YAHWEH’s favor will bring the wealth and resources of the nations to buildup the city in splendor. Those nations that hated Zion will come and pay respect because the light which she shines forth (60:1) will be recognized as the source of blessing for the world.

I. PRIORITY REVERSAL, 10-13.

II. PERSPECTIVE REVERSAL, 14-16.

III. POSITION REVERSAL, 17-18.

The prophet now foretells how the resources of the nations will one day be use beginning in verse 10. "Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you. For in My wrath I struck you, and in My favor I have had compassion on you. (11) "Your gates will be open continually; 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.

You cannot understand verses 10 & 11 without verse 18 which defines the walls and gates for this passage. Though the passage being literally fulfilled is proper, the real fulfilment for God and the people of God comes in the symbolic fulfilment of the passage. The nations of the world have seen the light and have come to acknowledge Israel’s Messiah as the God of all the earth. They therefore build up the walls of salvation, or make known that the Covenant keeping God is the One in whom salvation is found and experienced. He is the One who protects from sin, not only from the wrath of angry nations and peoples.

The only way that leads one into the great city of Zion, of God presence, is through the gates of praise. He is worthy of praise and God inhabits the praises of His people. We are to enter His courts with praise and His gates with thanksgiving (Ps. 100:4; 95:1-3). Those who refuse to come before Him with praise and thanksgiving do not walk the way of God. In that great day even foreigners will acknowledge the one true God with their praise of Him, for who He is and what He has done. YAHWEH will leave no doubt to those who see the true light that He is the LORD God and there is no other.

The nations that so recognize the Lordship of the Messiah will fully participate in His covenant. Verse 12 addresses those nations that refuse to recognize His lordship. [Oswalt, Isaiah 40-66, 547]. "For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, and the nations will be utterly ruined.

Those who refuse to see the light of the Messiah shining from His people demonstrate a satanic rebellion and selfish pride. When they so obstinately rebel against the obvious truth of God they place themselves in jeopardy. Those who deny God’s rightful rule are like those who refuse to believe in the law of gravity. Such disbelief will have repercussions just as certainly as jumping off a cliff has consequences.

The repercussions given to those who will not voluntarily submit to the Lordship of the Messiah are given. They will die and what they thought they accomplished will be utterly in ruin. [Without a solid foundation of ultimate justice, grace is a meaningless concept. Without an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise God, there is no unquestionable ultimate justice.]

Verse 13 foretells that the beauty of nature will come to Zion. "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary. And I shall make the place of My feet glorious.

The majestic and stately grandeur of the towering cedar’s of Lebanon (may also indicate the splendorous environs of their mountain created sanctuary) will come to Zion. Other trees also come together for the sake of making God’s sanctuary beautiful.

God called the temple His sanctuary and the place of His feet [His footstool -1 Chr. 28:2; Ps 99:5: Isa. 66:1; Mt. 5:35]. People from the nations that formerly despised Israel will recognize that Jerusalem or Zion, is God’s chosen city, the place where He dwells. As the place of His presence, God will make it glorious as only He can.

II. PERSPECTIVE REVERSAL, 14-16.

The reversal of Israel’s horrible mistreatment is further considered in verse 14. "The sons 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; and they will call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.