Isaiah 60 - Introduction

The glory of the church in the abundant access of the Gentiles, and the great blessings after a short affliction.

Before Christ 698.

THE state of the church is here exhibited in a perfection which approaches nearest to the divine, the most beautiful and glorious imaginable; though we are yet to seek where or when the true exemplar of it may or shall be found. The prophetic company here addresses a certain society, under the figure of the city of Jerusalem, the true and spiritual Sion, Isaiah 60:14 which is supposed to sit sorrowful, and exhorts her to arouse and shew herself in all her beauty, now that her salvation, so long wished and hoped for, is at hand, and the divine glory is about to rise upon her, and illuminate the nations and people who had hitherto sat in thick darkness. The section may be divided into two parts: in the first part we have the general proposition, concerning this glorious and desirable state of the church, which is simply exhibited, Isaiah 60:1 and confirmed, Isaiah 60:2. In the second, we have the declaration of that proposition; wherein the privileges of this state of the church are particularly enumerated and celebrated: first, the amplification of this city, from the nations hastening to it on all sides, bringing great abundance of every thing which they esteemed most dear and precious. This is described simply and universally, Isaiah 60:4 particularly with respect to a certain nation, Isaiah 60:8.—From the kings themselves, who should join themselves to it, and serve it with all their power, destruction being denounced upon those who should do otherwise, Isaiah 60:10.—From all the more solid and durable eminence which is in the world being transferred to the church, Isaiah 60:13.—From the enemies, which had heretofore afflicted it, becoming subject to it, and their kings nourishing and cherishing it, Isaiah 60:14. Secondly, the remarkable ornaments of the church, from a wonderful change of all things for the better, from the sanctity and peaceableness of its ministers and rulers, are described, Isaiah 60:17. Thirdly, its security from the evils and afflictions which it had sustained, Isaiah 60:18. Fourthly, the great brightness of the divine glory illuminating it, and the perpetuity of that blessing, Isaiah 60:19. Fifthly, the integrity and wonderful increase of its citizens, Isaiah 60:21. A short clause is added concerning the certainty of the completion of this prophesy, which, says Vitringa, is certainty too august to be applied to any state of the church which has yet been seen in the world. We have the best interpretation of it in the Revelation of St. John, ch. 20 where we are taught that this illustrious state of the Christian church shall not exist till after the destruction of the beast and Babylon; and, indeed, the whole series of this third discourse of the last part of Isaiah's prophesy, which sets forth the state of the church through a course of ages, proves that this conclusion must pertain to some perfect state of the church which should follow after it had weathered the afflictions and difficulties above predicted.