← All Chapters The Book of Isaiah · Chapter 60

Isaiah 60: Arise, Shine

Light dawns on Zion as God's glory rises; the nations stream to her brightness and the Lord becomes her everlasting light.

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Isaiah 60 (WEB)

1 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory is risen on you.

2 For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.

3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms.

5 Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

6 The multitude of camels shall cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praises of Yahweh.

7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar; and I will glorify the house of my glory.

8 “Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

9 Surely the islands shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.

10 “Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you: for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor have I had mercy on you.

11 Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.

12 For that nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the fir tree, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

14 The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all those who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The city of Yahweh, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

16 You shall also drink the milk of the nations, and shall nurse from royal breasts; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 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 your officers peace, and righteousness your ruler.

18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land, desolation nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.

19 The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.

20 Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.

21 Your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

22 The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Yahweh, will hasten it in its time.”

Summary

After the darkness of sin, the prophet sounds a glorious reveille: “Arise, shine, your light has come, and Yahweh's glory is risen on you.” While darkness covers the earth and its peoples, the Lord rises upon Zion and his glory appears over her, so that nations come to her light and kings to the brightness of her dawn. Zion is told to lift up her eyes and see her scattered children returning from far away, carried home, so that her heart thrills and swells. The wealth of the nations flows to her—camels from Midian and Ephah, gold and frankincense from Sheba, flocks from Kedar—all coming to glorify the house of God. Foreigners build her walls, kings minister to her, and her gates stand open continually to receive the riches of the nations. The glory of Lebanon comes to beautify God's sanctuary, and those who once afflicted her now bow at her feet, calling her the City of Yahweh, the Zion of the Holy One. God transforms her forsakenness into eternal splendor: he gives gold for bronze and silver for iron, makes peace her governor and righteousness her ruler, and ends all violence within her borders. Most wonderful of all, she will no longer need sun or moon, for the Lord himself will be her everlasting light and her days of mourning will be ended.

Voices

  • Yahweh (the LORD) — The God whose glory rises upon Zion, who gathers her children and the wealth of nations, and who becomes her everlasting light and her glory.
  • Zion / Jerusalem — The once-forsaken city called to arise and shine, transformed into an eternal splendor radiant with the glory of God.
  • The nations and kings — The peoples who come to Zion's light, bringing gold, frankincense, and tribute, building her walls and bowing before the Holy One of Israel.

Key Verse

Isaiah 60:1 (WEB)

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory is risen on you.

Lessons Learned

  • God's glory dispels the darkness that covers the earth and its peoples.
  • The light God gives his people is meant to draw the nations to him.
  • God can transform a forsaken and afflicted people into an eternal splendor.
  • In the end, God himself is the everlasting light of his people, ending all mourning.
  • God's people shine with borrowed light. “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory is risen on you” (Isaiah 60:1, WEB). The radiance is his, reflected in them.
  • God's light draws the nations. “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3, WEB).
  • God transforms forsakenness into glory. “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated… I will make you an eternal excellency” (Isaiah 60:15, WEB).
  • God himself is the everlasting light. “Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory” (Isaiah 60:19, WEB).
  1. What is the contrast between the earth and Zion in verses 1-3?
  2. How do the gifts of the nations (verses 4-9) reflect their response to God's glory?
  3. What transformations does God promise for the once-forsaken city (verses 15-18)?
  4. What does it mean that God himself will be Zion's everlasting light (verses 19-20)?
  5. How might God be calling you to reflect his light so that others are drawn to him?
  1. While “darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples,” the Lord rises on Zion and his glory appears over her (60:1-3). The world's deep darkness only makes the light of God's glory on his people more visible and inviting.
  2. The nations bring camels, gold, frankincense, and flocks, streaming to Zion to “proclaim the praises of Yahweh” (60:6). Their gifts are worship; drawn by God's light, they bring their best to glorify the house of God.
  3. God promises to replace bronze with gold and iron with silver, to make peace her governor and righteousness her ruler, and to end violence within her borders (60:15-18). He utterly reverses her shame, turning desolation into lasting beauty and security.
  4. It means God's presence so fills his people that they no longer need sun or moon (60:19-20); he is their light and glory, and their mourning is ended. This points to the final vision of Revelation, where the Lamb is the light of the city.
  5. This is a personal-application question. Invite members to consider where their lives could reflect God's glory to draw others toward him. As leader, stress that the light is his gift to display, not their own brilliance to manufacture.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.