ISAIAH - CHAPTER 60: 14-22 THE GLORY OF THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH
ISAIAH – CHAPTER 60: 14-22
THE GLORY OF THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
March 24, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
We have studied the church glorified on earth; the church glorified in the Glory of Christ enthroned as head of the Kingdom of God in heaven and on earth. In these verses, we see the glory of the Church militant.
The whole description of this perfected earthly Zion ---the glory of the Church militant is summed up in the closings words of verses 18: “You shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.”
Verses 14 and 15 reveal the contempt and neglect suffered by the nation of Israel during the time of their captivity by the Persians. It was another 75 years or so before the Persians permitted the rebuilding of the city. The Jews were politically helpless, a tiny state dominated by an all-powerful Medo-Persian empire.
As we watch the present day aggression and excalation of Iran in the Middle East, we can believe through the promises of this prophecy that the situation will one day be totally transformed. Humiliation of Israel and Christians will give place to unimaginable glory.
60:14-15: “The sons also of them that afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all they who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you, The City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.”
I receive the election of the warrior-leader Netanyahu as a sign that the Commander and Chief of the Armies of Heaven is aligning the Church militant on earth with the armies of Heaven to bring to their knees all those who have afflicted Israel and the Church.
The Church will have an opportunity of showing mercy and salvation to those who have done evil and saving those alive who have afflicted and despised Jesus Christ. “It is a pleasure to a good man, and he accounts it an honor, to show mercy to those with whom he has found no mercy.”
“Many generations” is the same as eternal generations of natural people.
60: 16: “You shall also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and suck the bread of kings. You shall know that I the Lord am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
We can pray this scripture for Netanyahu when he faces down the Obama Administration at the United Nations.
Jesus Christ is here spoken of as the Lord, your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
The happy and glorious state of the church is further foretold referring ultimately to the Christian church. We must look for the full accomplishments of this prophecy in the perpetual excellencies of the gospel church, and the glorious privileges we have in Christ Jesus through the precious Holy Spirit.
60:17: “For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, for wood brass, and for stones iron. I will also make your officers peace, and your over-seers righteousness.”
Finas J. Dake breaks this scripture down as follows:
“There will be an abundance of gold enough to be used where brass is now used. There will be enough silver to use where iron is generally used, enough brass to use where wood is used, and enough iron to use where stones are now used.
The rulers of Israel will be officers of peace, and the tax collectors will be honest and righteous.”
60:18: “Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting nor destruction inside your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.”
Israel is a nation which is constantly bombed and threatened from its neighbors. The declaration of this prophecy over-rides the millenniums of violence around and through Israel---also, the persecution of Christians since the crucifixion of Christ and the establishment of the Christian church.
At the gates of the old-world cities, watchmen were stationed to watch the enemy’s approach. Here they will be needed no more. The clang of arms is silenced, the din of battle and bombs have died away. The walls that formerly bore martial names, will then be called “Salvation”. The gates that formerly resounded with a war-cry, or shook with the sound of the trumpet, or roll of the martial drums, will now witness holy worshipers singing praises to their “Savior-King”. Her troubles give way to salvation and safety.
I have a teaching on The Twelve Gates of Pearl on the website.
The following is an excerpt from that teaching. (I entered into the labors of Kelly Varner, “The Twelve Gates of the City”.)
“The gates of the city describe the perfected people of Rev. 21 and show a progressive unfolding of the Christ nature from within the believers. All of these images are used to describe a people in who dwells the fullness of God. This is the Body of Christ, the Lamb’s wife, Zion, the church in glory and perfection. This is God’s dwelling place among men. “There is no need of a separate temple. If the Lord is there, then the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is its temple”. In the present Gospel order, the temple city and commonwealth are all in the Christian in whom God lives by His Spirit.
The Twelve Gates = twelve experiences which do progressively unfold from the Christ; (The God or divine) nature from within us. 1 Cor. 3:9-10: “For we are laborers together with God. You are God’s husbandry, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon, but let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.”
The twelve gates are twelve entrances into the Light of the Gospel church. There are no shadows. 21:27: “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie; but which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 21:8: The fearful, and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.”
As we have been studying on Sunday mornings, the glorified Church on earth rises into the realm of the Church glorified in heaven. The glorified church in heaven encompasses the glorified church on earth. The prophecy of the Seer of Judah merges into the visions of the Seer of Patmos.
From glorious things spoken of the City of God in its militant state, Isaiah proceeds to the glorious realities of New Jerusalem.
60: 19-20: “The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no more go down; neither shall your moon withdraw it self; for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.”
The central thought of these two magnificent verses is that Jehovah Himself, in His manifest presence (His Parousia) is to form the surpassing glory of the heavenly world. The noblest examples of light we have, in this earth are those orbs which illumine the firmament,---the sun at its highest point by day, the moon with her silver lamp by night.
These are at best feeble emblems of that “Light of lights” who is to flood eternity with His radiance. The Sun of Righteousness dispersing the gross darkness of the nations, and flooding the whole earth with His brightness---that which was once “forsaken” and “hated” will be made “an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations”.
The sun, moon, and celestial bodies are often taken in Scripture as figures of ordinances, covenant and grace.
Jeremiah 31:35-36: “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and stars for a light by night, who divides the sea when the waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name; If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
In New Jerusalem, these lesser and created lights will no longer be required. They are superseded. The glory of the New Creation (the born again Christian) is greater than the Old Creation. The glory of the Old Creation has no glory, by reason of the glory which excels, “The Lamb then being, “All in All” (1 Co. 12:6; 15:21, Eph. 1:23).
What the material sun is to earth, the Lord is to the Kingdom of His redeemed. There is no brief or more beautiful description than given in two words: “You’re God! You’re Glory! “Thy God! Thy Glory!
The glory of the people is Jehovah Himself. The glory of the people is that we are in Christ together with those who are in Heaven under one Head. The issues of this glory is perfect gladness. The days of mourning are to be ended. All weakness changes into strength.
The interpretation in the Jewish Targum is “You will not need the shining of the sun”.
God Himself will be our “exceeding joy” (Ps. 43:3). We will not need the shadow when we have the substance. We will not need the stream when we have the infinite fountain. The Lord shall be unto us an everlasting light and “You’re God Your Glory!”.
As the majestic words are repeated with little variation- doubtless to emphasize, we hear the cry of pain from the earth. In this realm of “no more pain, never crying again” we will be living in the light of the risen Lamb.
60:20: “Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.”
“There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
This blessed state is not just for those in Heaven, but for the Overcomers on earth. I am teaching on Sunday evening how to overcome the pain of the soul (stumbling blocks) so that we can walk in the realm of “no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, no more pain”
“These overcomers have gone beyond gift and ministry as such, and now they minister out from their relationship with the Lamb. In union with Christ, they can do anything He wants them to do, simply because in themselves they can do nothing. They are utterly dependent upon the Lord, even as He was utterly dependent upon the Father when he walked the earth.” (George Warnock)
(Rev. 21:22) “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are its temple. (The old order of the temple system has passed away.) The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the Glory of God gives it light, and the lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the king’s of the earth will bring their splendor to it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and the honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written on the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
God and the Lamb are the city’s holiness and it is itself, God’s dwelling place on earth. The Lord will be our everlasting light and “you’re God- your Glory”. The election of some does not mean the damnation of others. Because of the torch of the elect, nations will walk by its light. Those who are sanctified will always find the gates open.
There will be no more night! No intermission of the Glory of God’s presence. The elect live in his presence. “We are no longer children of the darkness, but children of the light.” However, sin will separate us from this glorious state. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. However sin will keep us out of the Glory of God on earth as it is in heaven.” (See sermon notes of Pastor Carolyn Sissom, No More Night, www.eastgateministries.com)
Two brief verses follow this glowing description. They come like postscripts to the Heavenly message. The one is the character of the family on earth and the heavenly Zion. The other is the great end for which the city itself was built and peopled.
60:21: “Your people shall all be righteous. They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.”
The pure in heart now and forever can “see God.” Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city”.
We were created to glorify God and be in fellowship with Him. The grand ultimate purpose for which every gate, tower and battlement of that city is that He may be glorified.
God’s glory was the first and so it is the eternal purpose of creation; “for of him, and through Him, and to Him are all things, to Him be glory forever.” (Ro. 11:36).
60:22: ‘A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I the Lord will hasten it in his time.”
Hasten what? Hasten all that He had spoken of from the opening of the prophecy onwards; from the first moment of grace, to the final entrance into glory; from the time when the summons was first heard by the soul in its spiritual darkness, “Arise, shine!---until the moment when we are lost in the blaze of brightness before the throne.
He seems to take us to a Pisgah Mount where he took Moses (Deut. 34: 1-4) as he points to the Canaan of everlasting rest, whispers in our ears the words of one of the closing utterances of this chapter---“They shall inherit the land for ever--- The branch of my planting, the work of my hands that I may be glorified.”
When the Lord showed me a vision of New Jerusalem it was at a distance. “Carolyn teach New Jerusalem as purity.”
As we make the journey of life following after the Lord and seeking to Behold His Glory, we can anticipate the joyous day when we can say, “ Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem!”
Where a King, in kingly glory,
Has assumed His righteous scepter,
Claims and wears the heavenly crown,
Brother, we shall meet and rest
“Mid the holy and the blest.” (paraphrased John Ross MacDuff)
Next week we study the New Priesthood in Isaiah 61.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V.
As indicated by quotes, I entered into the labors of Finis J. Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, George H. Warnock, Kelly Varner, John Ross MacDuff and sermons by Carolyn Sissom on the website of www.eastgateministries.com