Today's Devotional - Hope in the Coming Glory

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
    For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.

Isaiah 60:1

This verse speaks of the coming glory of the Lord for Jerusalem. This is a verse that is often taken out of context. Many people want to read themselves into the text rather than take from it what it is actually saying so let’s take a look at it.

The prophet Isaiah gave these prophecies during some very dark times in Israel’s history. The nation had fallen away from God multiple times and found itself hopeless and finally looking God for answers.

Isaiah 60 is a joyful chapter directly following a dark chapter sharply rebuking Sin. In chapter 59, the Lord speaks to the destruction of sin and the coming of Christ. Thus chapter 60 is the jubilant celebration of the victory in Christ and further describes the coming glory and restoration of Israel. This prophecy is vastly similar to the new heaven and new earth seen in Revelation 21. We have seen nothing to fulfill this prophecy as of yet. Thus we are looking forward to this coming glory as adopted heirs to Jerusalem.

What this is NOT saying. - This is not a call to action for me as an individual believer “let my light shine” as some have preached. There are many bible passages for that, however, this isn’t one.

What this IS saying - No matter how dark our path, Through Christ we have a victorious hope! There is a day coming when the glory of the Lord will shine from Jerusalem and his people into the ends of the earth. All this mess of earth and the toils of war will be replaced by the new heaven and the new earth. Every dark day will be torn down and overshadowed by God’s perfect and radiant Light. We as believers find our strength and joy in looking toward that coming day! We know that this pain does not last forever and through Christ, we have the hope of eternal Life!


Reflection:

Why is context so important in scripture?

How can I draw hope and confidence on dark days through scripture like this?

How does this hope affect how I live?