Christ in the Old Testament

Isaiah 60:3

Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (NIV)

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 60

Isaiah 60 has many prophecies in it that cover Israel’s return from exile recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to the New Jerusalem at the very end of time. We are going to focus on where we find Jesus today in Isaiah 60 and that is primarily verse 3:

“Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (vs 3).

In other words, nations will come to Jesus. Jesus is the light and we find plenty of support throughout Scripture telling us so:

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).

“Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light” (John 12:36).

Isaiah is writing in this chapter what God is saying to Israel. The whole chapter is a quotation. God is telling Israel that He is sending Jesus (His glory) to them and nations will come to him. This prophecy is primarily fulfilled in a couple of ways.

The first fulfillment has already happened. Right after Jesus was born, we know that Magi came from the east to present Jesus gifts and to worship him:

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matt 2:11).

Nations came to the light. God said to Israel:

“Herds of camels will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
    bearing gold and incense
    and proclaiming the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).

Sounds very similar to what was likely the scene when the Magi came into Jerusalem. But this prophecy will also be fulfilled when God creates a new heaven and a new earth. John wrote:

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal… The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.” (Rev 21:10-11, 23-26).

The Lamb is the lamp and the glory of God lights up the entire city. The nations will walk by the light coming from Jesus. And all the kings will bring their treasures to him. The Magi coming to greet Jesus when he came the first time was only a small representation of the great procession of kings that will come to worship Jesus in the New Jerusalem. What a magnificent sight it will be!

Today’s Prayer: I look forward to this great day when all the nations worship you. You alone are worthy of the praise of kings!