Charles Spurgeon Commentary Isaiah 60

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

We have had abundant proof of the darkness, and of the grossness of that darkness, for these many centuries; now we are to look—and I trust that we can already see it in part—for the arising of the Sun of righteousness, first upon the Church, and then upon the whole world.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 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.

Or, rather, "shall be carried as by a nurse upon her side." The strong ones—the sons—shall come walking; the weaker ones—the daughters—shall be carried like children who need to be nursed; but they shall all come.

Today, the Church of Christ has to "go." The message to Christ's disciples still is, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. The Church must send her heralds far and wide to tell the good news; but a blessed change will be brought about when the nations will come to hear the story, flocking in crowds to listen to it, and Christ will be sought by those who never sought him before.

"O long-expected day, begin;
Dawn on these realms of woe and sin!"

Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

The Church is like the moon, which shines with borrowed light.

When God shines upon the Church, then the Church herself shines by reflecting his light. The glory of Jehovah is her glory, if that is withdrawn, she is dark indeed; but when that shines into her and through her, then her brightness is great indeed.

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. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

There is nothing that breaks the darkness except the light from God's face; and when that falls upon the Church, then the Church immediately begins to shine in the midst of the darkness, and multitudes come to the light, and even the great ones of the earth, the kings, come to the brightness of her rising.

Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

The Church of God is one, whether it is among Jews or Gentiles. That poor Church seemed left and forsaken; dark days came, and it looked as if the Church must even cease to exist, but it did not. Now, God has brought in many sinners of the Gentiles, and he will bring them in much more numerously in the future times of refreshing. They will come in armies, in hosts, in nations, and the Church of God will be exceedingly glorious.