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Commentary on Isaiah 60 verses 15–22
The happy and glorious state of the church is here further foretold, referring principally and ultimately to the Christian church and the spiritual peace of that, but under the type of that little gleam of outward peace which the Jews sometimes enjoyed after their return out of captivity. This is here spoken of,
I. As compared with what it had been. This made her peace and honour the more pleasant, that her condition had been much otherwise.
1.She had been despised, but now she should be honoured, Isa 60:15, Isa 60:16. Jerusalem had been forsaken and hated, abandoned by her friends, abhorred by her enemies; no man went through that desolate city, but declined it as a rueful spectacle; it was an astonishment and a hissing. But now it shall be made an eternal excellency, being reformed from idolatry and having recovered the tokens of God's favour, and it shall be the joy of good people for many generations. Yet considering how short Jerusalem's excellency was, and how short it came of the vast compass of this promise, we must look for the full accomplishment of it in the perpetual excellencies of the gospel church, far exceeding those of the Old Testament church, and the glorious privileges and advantages of the Christian religion, which are indeed the joy of many generations. Two things are here spoken of as her excellency and joy, in opposition to her having been forsaken and hated: - (1.) She shall find herself countenanced by her neighbours. The nations, and their kings, that are brought to embrace Christianity, shall lay themselves out for the good of the church, and maintain its interests with the tenderness and affection that the nurse shows to the child at her breasts (Isa 60:16): "Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles, not suck their blood (that is not the spirit of the gospel); thou shalt suck the breast of kings, who shall be to thee as nursing fathers." (2.) She shall find herself countenanced by her God: "Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, shalt know it by experience; for such a salvation, such a redemption, shall be wrought out for thee as plainly discovers itself to be the work of the Lord, the work of a mighty one, for it is a great salvation, of the Mighty One of Jacob, for it secures the welfare of all those that are Israelites indeed." They before knew the Lord to be their God; now they know him to be their Saviour, their Redeemer. Their Holy One now appears their Mighty One.
2.She had been impoverished, but now she shall be enriched, and every thing shall be changed for the better with her, Isa 60:17. When those who were raised out of the dust are set among princes, instead of brass money in their purses they have bold, and instead of iron vessels in their houses they have silver ones, and other improvements agreeable: so much shall the spiritual glory of the New Testament church exceed the external pomp and splendour of the Jewish economy, which had no glory in comparison with that which quite excels it, Co2 3:10. When we had baptism in the room of circumcision, the Lord's supper in the room of the passover, and a gospel ministry in the room of a Levitical priesthood, we had gold instead of brass. Sin turned gold into brass when Rehoboam made brazen shields instead of the golden ones he had pawned; but God's favour, when that returns, will turn brass again into gold.
3.She had been oppressed by her own princes, which was sadly complained of, not only as her sin, but as her misery (Isa 59:14); but now all the grievances of that kind shall be redressed (Isa 60:17): "I will make thy officers peace; men of peace shall be made officers, and shall be indeed justices, not patrons of injustice, and justices of peace, not instruments of trouble and vexation. They shall be peace, that is, they shall sincerely seek thy welfare and by their means thou shalt enjoy good." They shall be peace, for they shall be righteousness; and then the peace is as a river, when the righteousness is as the waves of the sea. Even exactors, whose business it is to demand the public tribute, though they be exact, must not be exacting, but must be just to the subject as well as to the prince, and, according to the instructions John Baptist gave to the publicans must exact no more than is appointed them, Luk 3:13.
4.She had been insulted by her neighbours, invaded, spoiled, and plundered; but now it shall be so no more (Isa 60:18): "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land; neither the threats and triumphs of those that do violence nor the outcries and complaints of those that suffer violence shall again be heard, but every man shall peaceably enjoy his own. There shall be no wasting nor destruction, either of persons of possessions, any where within thy borders; but thy walls shall be called salvation (they shall be safe, and means of safety to thee) and thy gates shall be praise, praise to thee (every one shall commend thee for the good condition they are kept in), and praise to thy God, who strengthens the bars of thy gates," Psa 147:13. When God's salvation is upon the walls it is fit that his praises should be in the gates, the places of concourse.
II. As completed in what it shall be. It should seem that in the close of this chapter we are directed to look further yet, as far forward as to the glory and happiness of heaven, under the type and figure of the flourishing state of the church on earth, which yet was never such as to come any thing near to what is here foretold; and several of the images and expressions here made use of we find in the description of the new Jerusalem, Rev 21:23; Rev 22:5. As the prophets sometimes insensibly pass from the blessings of the Jewish church to the spiritual blessings of the Christian church, which are eternal, so sometimes they rise from the church militant to the church triumphant, where, and where only, all the promised peace, and joy, and honour will be in perfection. 1. God shall be all in all in the happiness here promised; so he is always to true believers (Isa 60:19): The sun and the moon shall be no more thy light. God's people, when they enjoy his favour, and walk in the light of his countenance, make little account of sun and moon, and the other lights of this world, but could walk comfortably in the light of the Lord though they should withdraw their shining. In heaven there shall be no occasion for sun or moon, for it is the inheritance of the saints in light, such light as will swallow up the light of the sun as easily as the sun does that of a candle. "Idolaters worshipped the sun and moon (which some have thought the most ancient and plausible idolatry); but these shall be no more thy light, shall no more be idolized, but the Lord shall be to thee a constant light, both day and night, in the night of adversity as well as in the day of prosperity." Those that make God their only light shall have him their all-sufficient light, their sun and shield. Thy God shall be thy glory. Note, God is the glory of those whose God he is and will be so to eternity. It is their glory that they have him for their God, and they glory in it; it is to them instead of beauty. God's people are, upon this account, an honourable people, that they have an interest in God as their sin covenant. 2. The happiness here promised shall know no change, period, or allay (Isa 60:20): "Thy sun shall no more go down, but it shall be eternal day, eternal sunshine, with thee; that shall not be thy sun which is sometimes eclipsed, often clouded, and, though it shine ever so bright, ever so warm, will certainly set and leave thee in the dark, in the cold, in a few hours; but he shall be a sun, a fountain of light to thee, who is himself the Father of all lights, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning," Jam 1:17. We read of the sun's standing still once, and not hasting to go down for the space of a day, and it was a glorious day, never was the like; but what was that to the day that shall never have a night? Or, if it had, it should be a light night; for neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; it shall never wane, shall never change, but be always at the full. The comforts and joys that are in heaven, the glories provided for the soul, as the light of the sun, and those prepared for the glorified body too, as the light of the moon, shall never know the least cessation or interruption; how should they when the Lord shall himself be thy everlasting light - a light which never wastes nor can ever be extinguished? And the days of thy mourning shall be ended, so as never to return; for all tears shall be wiped away, and the fountains of them, sin and affliction, dried up, so that sorrow and sighing shall flee away for ever. 3. Those that are entitled to this happiness, being duly prepared and qualified for it, shall never be put out of the possession of it (Isa 60:21): Thy people, that shall inhabit this New Jerusalem, shall all be righteous, all justified by the righteousness of the Messiah, all sanctified by his Spirit; all that people, that Jerusalem, must be righteous, must have that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. They are all righteous, for we know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. There are no people on earth that are all righteous; there is a mixture of some bad in the best societies on this side heaven; but there are no mixtures there. They shall be all righteous, that is, they shall be entirely righteous; as there shall be none corrupt among them, so there shall be no corruption in them; the spirits of just men shall there be made perfect. And they shall be all the righteous together who shall replenish the New Jerusalem; it is called the congregation of the righteous, Psa 1:5. And, because they are all righteous, therefore they shall inherit the land for ever, for nothing but sin can turn them out of it. The perfection of the saints' holiness secures the perpetuity of their happiness. 4. The glory of the church shall redound to the honour of the church's God: "They shall appear to be the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, and I will own them as such." It was by the grace of God that they were designed to this happiness; they are the branch of his planting, or of his plantations; he broke them off from the wild olive and grafted them into the good olive, transplanted them out of the field, when they were as tender branches, into his nursery, that, being now planted in his garden on earth, they might shortly be removed to his paradise in heaven. It was by his grace likewise that they were prepared and fitted for this happiness; they are the work of his hands (Eph 2:10), are wrought to the self-same thing, Co2 5:5. It is a work of time, and, when it shall be finished, will appear a work of wonder; and God will be glorified, who began it, and carried it on; for the Lord Jesus will then be admired in all those that believe. God will glorify himself in glorifying his chosen. 5. They will appear the more glorious, and God will be the more glorified in them, if we compare what they are with what they were, the happiness they have arrived at with the smallness of their beginnings (Isa 60:22): "A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation." The captives that returned out of Babylon strangely multiplied, and became a strong nation. The Christian church was a little one, a very small one at first - the number of their names was once but 120; yet it became a thousand. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands swelled so as to fill the earth. The triumphant church, and every glorified saint, will be a thousand out of a little one, a strong nation out of a small one. The grace and peace of the saints were at first like a grain of mustard-seed, but they increase and multiply, and make a little one to become a thousand, the weak to be as David. When they come to heaven, and look back upon the smallness of their beginning, they will wonder how they got thither. And so wonderful is all this promise that it needed the ratification with which it is closed: I the Lord will hasten it in his time - all that is here said relating to the Jewish and Christian church, to the militant and triumphant church, and to every particular believer. (1.) It may seem too difficult to be brought about, and therefore may be despaired of; but the God of almighty power has undertaken it: "I the Lord will do it, who can do it, and who have determined to do it." It will be done by him whose power is irresistible and his purposes unalterable. (2.) It may seem to be delayed and put off so long that we are out of hopes of it; but, as the Lord will do it, so he will hasten it, will do it with all convenient speed; though much time may pass before it is done, no time shall be lost; he will hasten it in its time, in the proper time, in the season wherein it will be beautiful; he will do it in the time appointed by his wisdom, though not in the time prescribed by our folly. And this is really hastening it; for, though it seem to tarry, it does not tarry if it come in God's time, for we are sure that that is the best time, which he that believes will patiently wait for.
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. [Isaiah 60:20-21] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
We must keep in mind, however, that the Word promises to the righteous through the mouth of Isaiah that days will come when not the sun but the Lord will be to them an everlasting light, and God will be their glory. And it is from misunderstanding, I think, some pestilent heresy that gave an interpretation to the words “let there be light,” as if they were the expression of a wish merely on the part of the Creator, that Celsus made the remark, “The Creator did not borrow light from above, like those persons who kindle lamps at those of their neighbors.”
According to the word of blessing to the one receiving illumination, “The Lord will be your everlasting light.” … When this economy was reconstituted, God opened his eyes on the house of Judah, that is, the living church of God, with the Savior sent from the house of Judah to rule over it.
(Verse 19, 20.) The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor will the splendor of the moon shine on you; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will not decrease; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be fulfilled. LXX: And there will be no more sun for you to shine by day, nor will the moon's light shine on you at night; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. For the sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. And the Lord will be an everlasting light, and your days of mourning will be ended. From this chapter, we are compelled to refer all that has been said and will be said, to the final time: when the sun and moon cease their function as they pass through heaven and earth. And the Lord Himself will be a perpetual light, so that what the carnal-minded assert to be fulfilled in a thousand years, we may believe will be fulfilled spiritually, in the quality of the promises, not differing in time. To these things it must be briefly answered that if the sun sets at noon for false prophets and sinners, and conversely, the sun of justice rises for those who fear the Lord: why then does the one who says, 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:12), who shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not comprehended him (John 1)? For indeed, the sun does not scorch us during the day, nor does the moon during the night (Psalm 121:6). Because we have the Lord as our perpetual light, and the days of our mourning will be fulfilled, not in the lamentation of the destruction of Jerusalem, but in the rejoicing of the instruction of the Church. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are those who weep, for they will laugh. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matthew 5). After being satisfied with the flesh of the Lord, they will proclaim the word of the Lord and declare their works to the king (Psalm 44).
This is exactly what the future life possesses. It will need neither moon nor sun, since it has the ineffable light of God. But those who believe can take advantage of it in a provisional form. Nevertheless, in a figurative sense, believers enjoy this light even now. When they are illuminated by this light, they take the road that is free from error.… And this is what is announced about the life to come. It will have immutability of thought. It will be arrayed in righteousness forever. It will have freedom from sin. It will not have an excess of either youth or age. Instead, it will have a life without end. And in that life those who are worthy will inherit the land of the living.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 60:20 presents a magnificent prophetic vision of ultimate restoration and divine blessing for Zion, symbolizing God's redeemed people. It declares an era of perpetual divine presence and unending joy, where the natural cycles of day and night, and consequently, periods of sorrow and affliction, are entirely superseded by the Lord Himself. He becomes the eternal source of light, comfort, and peace, bringing an absolute and definitive end to all mourning, ushering in an age of perfect wholeness and divine illumination.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 60:20 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound message of ultimate divine restoration. Metaphor is central, as the sun and moon are used metaphorically to represent the cycles of prosperity and adversity, light and darkness, that characterize earthly existence. Their perpetual presence, or more accurately, their supernatural replacement by God Himself, signifies an eternal state of divine favor and uninterrupted blessing. This extraordinary claim is further amplified by Hyperbole, where the literal cessation of the sun and moon's cycles emphasizes the extraordinary and supernatural nature of God's promised intervention and the radical transformation of reality. The statement that the Lord Himself will be the "everlasting light" is also a powerful Metaphor, portraying God as the ultimate, inexhaustible source of all illumination, joy, and truth. Parallelism is evident in the opening phrases, "Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself," where two structurally similar clauses reinforce the idea of unending light and the cessation of natural cycles. Additionally, there is a subtle element of Personification as the moon is described as "withdraw[ing] itself," attributing a human-like action to a celestial body, thereby enhancing the vividness and dramatic impact of the imagery.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 60:20 is a cornerstone prophecy, weaving together profound themes of divine presence, eschatological hope, and ultimate redemption. It reveals God's ultimate intention to dwell fully and perpetually with His people, transforming their reality from one of cyclical sorrow and temporary light to one of unending joy and eternal divine illumination. This vision transcends mere earthly restoration, pointing to a new creation where the very nature of existence is transformed by God's glory. The promise of an "everlasting light" speaks to God's unchangeable character as the source of all truth, life, and comfort, ensuring that His people will never again experience the darkness of His absence or the pain of separation. The comprehensive cessation of mourning underscores the holistic nature of this salvation, addressing not only external circumstances but also the deepest human experiences of grief and loss, culminating in a state of perfect shalom.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 60:20 offers profound comfort and an unshakeable anchor of hope for believers navigating the transient and often sorrowful realities of this present world. It serves as a powerful reminder that our current sufferings, no matter how deep or prolonged, are not our ultimate destiny. God's unwavering promise is to be our perpetual light, dispelling all shadows of fear, confusion, and despair. In moments of spiritual darkness, personal grief, or societal turmoil, this verse calls us to fix our gaze steadfastly on the Lord, who is the unfailing source of all light, joy, and truth. It encourages us to live with an eternal perspective, knowing with certainty that a glorious day is coming when all tears will be wiped away, and our mourning will be definitively and eternally ended by His glorious, unveiled presence. This hope empowers us to endure present trials with resilience, unwavering faith, and joyful anticipation, confident in God's faithfulness to complete His redemptive work and usher us into an unending era of perfect peace and unadulterated joy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean the literal sun and moon will cease to exist in the new heavens and new earth?
Answer: While Isaiah 60:20 uses striking imagery of the sun and moon no longer setting or withdrawing, the primary interpretation is metaphorical and theological, rather than strictly literal. It signifies that the need for natural light sources will be entirely superseded by the direct, unmediated, and constant glory of God Himself. This understanding is explicitly affirmed in the New Testament, where Revelation 21:23 describes the New Jerusalem stating, "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." This confirms that God's own radiant presence will be so overwhelming and complete that the cyclical nature of earthly light and darkness will become irrelevant, bringing an end to all periods of spiritual or physical obscurity and sorrow.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 60:20 finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the very embodiment of the "everlasting light" promised here, for as John 8:12 declares, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Through His incarnation, sacrificial death on the cross, and triumphant resurrection, Christ has definitively inaugurated the era where God's light shines forth upon humanity. The promise that "the days of thy mourning shall be ended" is realized through His atoning work, which conquered sin and death, the ultimate sources of all human sorrow and lamentation. His resurrection is the dawn of the eternal day, guaranteeing that all who are united with Him by faith will share in His victory over suffering and death, as powerfully proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. Furthermore, the vision of an unending day points directly to the glorious reality of the New Jerusalem, where Christ, the Lamb, is the very lamp, and God's glory is the light, as vividly depicted in Revelation 21:23-24. In Him, the cycles of darkness and sorrow are eternally broken, and believers are brought into a perpetual state of joy, peace, and unceasing fellowship in the glorious, unmediated presence of God.