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Martin Luther King Junior’s 1963 Washington Speech, “I have a dream”, fired the hearts of American people across the racial divide to a new vision and energy to promote harmony and peace. Yet within five years Martin Luther King himself was dead, gunned down by an assassin’s bullet.
Is there any hope for our world where divisions, conflict and war continue? Or will there always be death and destruction?
Come with me to Isaiah chapter 60 where he speaks of a city yet to rise. With the Babylonian conquest of the Kingdom of Judah in 586BC, Isaiah’s first readers had lost their city, the temple (the symbol of God’s presence) and their king. Yet in the midst of the darkness and despair Isaiah provides shafts of light revealing God’s ultimate plans. We get glimpses of this in chapters 25 and 35 and especially in chapter 60.
With the close of chapter 59 Isaiah introduces the theme of a renewed city (verse 20), and in chapter 60 he speaks of God’s City – a place where the dark experiences of our present world will give way to light. Gloom will give way to glory.
Isaiah pictures the sun rising over Jerusalem as a metaphor for God’s future city. His readers would know the rising sun appears over the Mount of Olives before striking the city below, driving away the darkness and flooding the whole scene with the glory of its light. It’s a sight that tourists still marvel at today.
Significantly, Isaiah’s words came true. For against all odds the Jewish people did return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. Cyrus the Mede had risen and conquered Babylon and in 520BC he decreed that the Jewish people could return to their homeland.
But there’s another layer to Isaiah’s prophecy. He didn’t just speak of the city of Jerusalem rebuilt after the exile. He was taking up a theme found in chapter 25, where God’s Messiah, his king, would come down to earth. God would bring in a whole new order, a new creation, where Messiah would host a banquet far beyond anything that anyone dreamed.
Yes, the return of the exiles and the re-building of Jerusalem was part of God’s plan, but the earthly city Isaiah is speaking about is a picture of a greater city yet to come. Isaiah uses the earthly city of Jerusalem as a metaphor: God himself will rise over Jerusalem, filling the whole of the city with the light of his presence: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
The imagery of light and darkness is often used to portray God’s creating work. In Genesis chapter 1, we read that thick darkness covered the earth, but that God’s light overcame it. In Isaiah chapter 60, darkness is a metaphor for moral evil and spiritual blindness.
The darkness of moral and spiritual failure is a shroud that embraces all people and covers all the nations. But, in the same way God’s light pierced the darkness in creation, now Isaiah sees God’s light piercing the darkness of human failure and the emergence of a new city.
At the centre of this new world is God – God’s throne and God’s city. Here there will be no need of a sun or a moon, for God’s glory will shine forever. God’s city represents everything that was promised in the original creation – relationships with God and with one another where there is truth and love, joy and peace, forever.
Furthermore, God’s light will shine world-wide. People everywhere will be drawn to it. In verse 3 we read: Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather together, they come to you.
Nations and kings will come to Zion, not to conquer it, but to acknowledge God and submit to him. Those who refuse, verse 12 warns, will perish: For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
It is one of the ironies of history that the power of Rome which crucified Jesus in the first century capitulated to him in the fourth century when the emperor Constantine was baptized.
It is striking proof that Isaiah’s words were no idle dream. The kingdoms of human power would fail; they would amass their wealth only to lay it down at the feet of the king of kings.
It’s an inspiring and encouraging picture. How much more should it encourage us, who live on the other side of the coming of God’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus. With Jesus’ coming and his resurrection from the dead, we have greater assurance that God’s plans will come to pass. God’s rule and God’s City will be established in glory and greatness forever.
What then should we be doing in the meantime? Part of the answer lies in our need to be biblically rich in understanding God and his purposes.
We need to believe what we read in Colossians, chapter 3, verse 4 for example: When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. While Jesus Christ is already enthroned at God’s right hand, his rule remains hidden for the present. In this meantime, he wants people to come to him in faith, trusting him for who he is and what he has done for us.
This means in part, that we should not withdraw from society with its issues and concerns. Rather, to quote Jeremiah’s words to exiles in Babylon: But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jeremiah 29:7). We all have a task to serve the best interests of the community around us.
We also have a greater task to assist the lost in being introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet sadly, the majority of churches in the West have lost their zeal to promote this good news.
In chapter 60, Isaiah wants us to see the restoration of ancient Jerusalem in the 6th century BC as a picture of God’s promise of a far greater city, when the dominion, power and glory of the Lord will be revealed in all its awesome majesty. Come what may, no human authority, no evil power, is greater than God.
As we read in Colossians chapter 2, verse 14, when Christ died, God defeated the powers of evil, sin and death. The day will come when that reality will be seen in all its fullness and glory.
Prayer. Almighty and everlasting God, ruler of all things in heaven and on earth, hear with mercy the prayers and petitions of your people, and so grant us your peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
© John G. Mason
