"And the nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
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At Israel's winter solstice her darkest night, when her sins had separated her and her God; when her hands were filled with blood and her fingers with iniquity; when her lips spoke lies and her tongue uttered wickedness; when she knew not the way of peace; when she looked for light and beheld darkness, for brightness but walked in obscurity, her prophet seeing no hope in man pointed them to the time when God's own arm should work salvation's end its summer noon. He cries:
" Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee. For, behold 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. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
How we have watched, with longing eyes this faint prophecy of "Summer sun and summer shine." How slowly the sun creeps northward. How long continues the cold and storm and tempest. Dropped from the heart of a winter of human weakness and evil, and came this prophecy of a summer of deliverance.
Has not the "Prince of Peace" led on from victory to victory? Can we not say, even in the midst of the darkest war cloud "He maketh war to cease"? Who, that hath read history, but can see, even now, the spears being beaten into plowshares and the swords into pruning hooks? Who but sees summer coming? Who can not see its green and blossom of promise? Who but can see that the storm of superstition and error, that have so long swept this beautiful world with their cold and tempest, are in their dying sough? Who but can look to no dim future but with the clear vision of near realization to the summer time of fruits and unclouded sun, when men shall love God and dwell together in peace and love; when Isaiah's vision shall have been fulfilled and man shall join with angels in "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward man. Frank S. Ford, Pastor of First Christian Church, 1898
60 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
2 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.
7 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.
8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9 Surely
the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring
thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name
of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
10 And
the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall
minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I
had mercy on thee.
11 Therefore
thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor
night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that
their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The
glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and
the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will
make the place of my feet glorious.
14 The
sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and
all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of
thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas
thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I
will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy 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 thy officers peace, and
thine exactors righteousness.
18 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.
19 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.
20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy
people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for
ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be
glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.
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