What a chapter!

It deserves to be preached, verse by verse!

But as I read it (again) this morning, a couple of truths (nuggets) seized my attention. (That’s the thrilling thing about the Bible, one of the thrilling things. It is a living Book, always imparting new insight!)

God speaking to Israel: “… and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 60:16c

“Saviour!”

“Redeemer!”

Both new Terms, Names … as far as the Jews are concerned. (Sounds like we’re studying the NEW Testament, doesn’t it?)

Then … “the Mighty One of Jacob!”

An old Term, Name …. promised to Israel at her very inception as a God-created little Nation! (The specific expression “Mighty One” translates “abiyr” in Hebrew, at its root meaning “One Who flies, hovers, moves His Wings!”

As in Deuteronomy 32:11-12 … “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, BEARETH THEM ON HER WINGS: so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.”

Wow!

“As the eagle” … “so the Lord!”

Then another thought … Isaiah 60:18, what a promise! “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.”

No longer Israel, Jerusalem … the hated!

No more terrorism!

Just the Presence of the Lord, and His Salvation and Praise!

Then one verse later … a fact John (from Patmos) reiterates in the Book of Revelation, in the Bible’s last chapter really.

God again to Israel … “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” Isaiah 60:19, but compare this to Revelation 22:5.

God (and His Radiant Glory) in the midst of His people! So much so, SO BRIGHT, the sun and moon have become obsolete!

No wonder so many of us pray … “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

Isaiah 60, read it again sometime today.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

God is speaking, to Israel: “In my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.” Isaiah 60:10

What a change!

A period of God’s Wrath!

Followed by an eternity of God’s Mercy!

What’s happened here?

In the middle of the sentence, at the position occupied by the conjunction “but,” Israel was saved by the Grace of God!

She “looked on Him (Jesus) Whom she had pierced” (on Calvary’s Cross) … and BELIVED! (Quoting Zechariah 12:10.)

Yes, Israel will be saved some day! (Quoting Romans 11:26 … “And so all ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”)

Thus, because of the Lord Jesus Christ (Himself a Jew), as well as Him being the eternal Son of God … this great “reversal” is prophesied for Israel!

But actually, is this not true of every Christian reading these lines today?

Once we were under God’s Wrath!

“He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM.” John 3:36b

But because of Jesus, His vicarious Death …

God has had Mercy upon us!

“ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5b

“But GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

Amen!

Today, Memorial Day 2019, let’s remember the greatest Solider Who every fought!

Jesus and His Victory on the Cross … “destroying the works of the devil!” (Quoting 1 John 3:8.)

Because of that Event … what God accomplished on Golgotha’s Hill … I too can sing: “God has had Mercy on me!”

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

God always wanted Israel to be a witness to the nations of the world!

Isaiah tells us that repeatedly.

“I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, FOR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES.” Isaiah 42:6

“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I WILL ALSO GIVE THEE FOR A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, that thou mayest be my SALVATION unto the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6

As does the New Testament: “For so hath the Lord commanded us(the Jews), saying, I HAVE SET THEE TO BE A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES, that thou shouldest be for SALVATION unto the ends of the earth.” Acts 13:46

Now, today in our Text … this “goal” indeed becomes a “reality!

Isaiah 60:2-6 … “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.”

Wow!

God’s Glory upon Israel, a newly saved people!

And Israel’s radiance, brightness, (inherited from Jesus) glory … will draw these people (Gentiles) to the Saviour!

Even the last few scattered (dispersed) children of Israel … will come home! Home to the Lord, finally! (The sweet “prodigal son” story fulfilled before the eyes of the whole world!)

Israel no longer downtrodden, browbeaten … but encouraged!

Even bringing “gifts” to Israel … these Gentiles will do! When a person meets Jesus … adoration and worship and gift-giving always follows!

And the Text today ends with them all “living happily every after!”

“And they shall show forth the praises of the Lord!”

Wow!

I could never subscribe to so-called “Replacement Theology,” which wrongly asserts that God is through with Israel! That the Church has become the new Israel .. and has usurped all the Promises God made to Abraham and his people!

No!

Not in the light of the Book of Isaiah!

God’s House … again in Israel, the Temple!

Isaiah 60:7, the verse we didn’t yet discuss …“All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.”

Flocks and rams … to sacrifice!

Altars on which to do so, being remembrancers (memorials) of the Cross of Calvary!

At the “House of God’s Glory!”

A rebuilt Millennial Temple!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

Isaiah 60 is phenomenal!

One of the greatest chapters so far, in all the Isaiah Corpus.

For this reason, I plan to invest several Lessons covering these 22 verses. All of which are well worth studying.

But for today, just verse 1.

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” This was one of my “memory verses” as a boy, back when we were taught to “hide” God’s Word in our hearts.

I guess that Statement (a compound sentence) could be made by everyone who has ever been saved, in a sense.

The “Light” came to me, for sure!

God’s “Glory” arose!

Both Terms being names/titles for Jesus Christ my Saviour!

But “in context” (in its proper, overall setting in the Book of Isaiah) the verse refers to the little nation of Israel. Maybe even to Jerusalem particularly.

One commentary I noticed says the verse heads a chapter mostly concerned with “Zion’s Glory.” Remember Isaiah 59:20 … “The Redeemer shall come to ZION.”

Upcoming verse 14 also says: “… and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The ZION of the Holy One of Israel.”

Wow!

The Text again: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.”

God’s “Glory” is well defined as “the sum total of all His Essence, His Attributes!” His Mega-Majesty … visible to human sight!

And God’s Glory in Scripture generally “radiates” Light, great Light! As in the future New Jerusalem … “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them LIGHT: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:5

In view of such great Jesus “Light” and “Glory” … what is Israel to do?

“Arise!”

No longer be lethargic. Get busy for the Lord! The command also has the inherent idea of being “established, confirmed” in what one believes and does.

But also “shine!”

Certainly implying that God’s Light is so influential, so penetrating … that we share in its luminosity!

It (He) changes us!

Recall 2 Corinthians 3:18 here. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, ARE CHANGED into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

In conclusion …

Two clear imperatives … “arise” and “shine” … duties which are resultant upon God’s Glory coming to mankind, to lost souls.

Oh Jerusalem, what a “bright” future you have … all because of Jesus!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

There is something “climatic” happening here, at the end of Isaiah chapter 59. Another Bible Account of the salvation of Israel, a miraculous Event indeed!

“18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. 19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.” Isaiah 59:18-21, where I have left the verse numbers in place for a reason, for clarity.

Some day (at the end of the Tribulation) Israel’s enemies will meet the final, furious (yet Holy) Wrath of Almighty God! Verse 18 … “According to their deeds, accordingly He (God) will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompence to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompence.” For God it is now “pay-back” Time. Note that Israel’s enemies are now God’s enemies too!

And when God’s people see this … such Deliverance … as a consequence: “So shall they (Israel) fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun.” Verse 19a … Salvation has come! “Fearing God’s Name” is an Old Testament way of saying … “Trusting our Lord.” This is the very Moment of which Paul the Apostle spoke long ago … “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” Romans 11:26

Then back to the Battle (Armageddon) for a Line of Scripture: “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” The Holy Ghost as Warrior! That Hebrew noun for “standard” (spelled “nus”) means (at its root) “to make to flee!” Routing these Jew haters! Death to multitudes!

Now verse 20 … you till me. Is this salvation, or not, national salvation? “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.” The “Redeemer” is Jesus! “Turning from transgression” is an example of old-fashioned repentance, too!

We’ve just read Isaiah’s Rendition (one of them) of the Second Coming of Jesus to earth! As is more fully described in Revelation 19:11-21.

And this coming salvation for God’s “chosen nation” is ETERNAL! Verse 21 proves such. “As for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.”

Talk about Revival!

No wonder they sing … “Some golden daybreak, Jesus will come!”

Perpetual redemption!

And tomorrow’s chapter (Isaiah 60) will even more gloriously tell the Story! After this Momentous Salvation Experience … “better days ahead” for the little nation Zechariah calls “the apple of God’s Eye!”

Join us in the morning!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.