Isaiah 60 - Introduction

The Glory of the New Jerusalem

At length the dark clouds of sin and impending judgement roll away before the prophet's vision, and in three magnificent Chapter s (60 62) he hails the rising sun of Jerusalem's prosperity. Ch. 60, a prophecy complete in itself, is a continuous apostrophe to the ideal Zion, describing her future splendour, the restoration of her children, the submission of the nations, the influx of costly tribute from all parts of the earth, &c. All the main features can be paralleled from ch. 40 55, and the strong resemblance to ch. Isaiah 49:14 ff., Isaiah 51:17 ff., Isaiah 54 would naturally lead to its being assigned to the same author. Had the chapter occupied a different position doubt on this point would hardly arise; it would be accepted without difficulty as a prophecy of return from Exile, written in Babylon. But the fact that it follows a series of Chapter s which there are strong reasons to regard as post-exilic, raises the question whether it be a misplaced discourse of the second Isaiah, or whether it may not have been composed in the same circumstances as the gloomy oracles with which it is immediately connected. A closer examination of the passage reveals little that is decisive on either side, but apparently nothing inconsistent with the latter hypothesis. The promise of the return of the exiles (Isaiah 60:4; Isaiah 60:9) obviously refers to the Jews dispersed throughout the world, whose ingathering remained an object of prophetic anticipation long after the restoration of the Jewish community in Palestine. Equally indeterminate are the allusions to the sanctuary in Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 60:13; it does not appear whether the Temple has yet to be rebuilt or only to be beautified. That the walls are still unbuilt (Isaiah 60:10) only proves that the date is earlier than the governorship of Nehemiah. In the absence of definite indications, all that can safely be said is that the theory of post-exilic authorship is perfectly admissible, and is probably to be preferred in the interests of critical simplicity. The prophecy at all events loses none of its significance if it is regarded as a message of consolation to the depressed and misgoverned and poverty stricken community depicted in the foregoing Chapter s.

The poem, according to Duhm and Cheyne, consists of ten strophes. The order of ideas may be thus exhibited:

i. Isa 60:1-3. An introductory strophe. While the rest of the world is shrouded in darkness, the light of Jehovah's glory breaks on Zion, and the nations are attracted to it.

ii. Isa 60:4-9. The main subject of the next three strophes is the return of the exiled children of Zion from East and West. As in ch. Isaiah 49:22, they are represented as brought home by the nations among whom they have sojourned; the resources of the world are placed at their disposal, and they bring with them the wealth of distant countries as tribute to the God of Israel.

iii. Isa 60:10-16. The relation of the new Israel to the outer world (again three strophes). Zion becomes the mistress of the nations; her walls are built by strangers, and kings are her servants (Isaiah 60:10); through her open gates a constant stream of treasure flows to beautify the sanctuary (Isaiah 60:11); she is the joy and praise of the whole earth, and is nourished by the "milk of the Gentiles" (Isaiah 60:14).

iv. Isaiah 60:17. The last three strophes describe the internal prosperity, both material and moral, of the future community. Peace and righteousness are the ruling powers within its borders; perfect order and security prevail (Isaiah 60:17 f.); instead of the natural luminaries of heaven, Jehovah Himself is its "everlasting light" (Isaiah 60:19 f.); the inhabitants are all righteous, possessing the land for ever, as the branch of the Lord's planting (Isaiah 60:21 f.).