Two thousand and seven hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote words that resonated for his day and continue to hold relevance today. These inspired words called for action from God’s people in his time and still demand action from God’s people today: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).
In Isaiah’s day, God’s people faced perilous times due to wicked and brutal enemies, most notably the Assyrians. At one point, the Assyrian army surrounded the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 37). Assyria’s chief officer challenged King Hezekiah and his God and urged them to surrender and spare themselves needless trouble, as no other city or god had been able to stop them. Hezekiah found himself in a predicament for which he had no human solution.
With Isaiah’s prophetic words, King Hezekiah surrendered before God, but defied the Assyrians. God responded to Hezekiah’s faith by sending an angel of death to destroy the Assyrian army and bring down its king. Through faith, King Hezekiah stood with God, joined Him in defeating God’s enemies, and preserved the Kingdom of Judah for more than 100 years. Hezekiah’s actions were a response to the light God had given him up to that point. It is reasonable to conclude that if Hezekiah had not responded in faith toward God, his encounter with evil would have ended in needless tragedy.
Today, the enemies of God surround our walls and demand our surrender. There is no human solution to our predicament. But we, as members of God’s family, have more light than Hezekiah ever had. Isaiah prophesied the coming of that Greater Light through specific prophecies that can apply only to Jesus Christ. Key passages include Isaiah 7:14, 9:6–7, 11:1–5, and chapter 53.
Our light today is Jesus Christ, who proclaimed, “I am the Light of the World.”
He is the One who rose from the dead and can rightfully say, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” He has bestowed upon us His Holy Spirit and appointed us as prophets, priests, and kings to join Him in destroying the works of the devil—who has plagued us since the Garden of Eden with deception, destruction, and death. He calls us to join Him in ending the rule of our adversary and enemy, Satan, along with his deceived human agents, whom we see active in every avenue of our lives, culture, and nation. From 2,700 years ago, Isaiah’s words, inspired by God, continue to call us to join in God’s work today.
Just as God worked through Hezekiah to destroy their adversaries, He will also work through us in our own day. The Christian life is more than attending church on Sundays or serving on church committees. It is actively joining with Him to take the offensive and destroy Satan’s influence in our families, communities, and nation. We can do it because our Light has come through the power of His Holy Spirit. We can rise up in His power, and when we do, the glory of God will rise upon us and through us to change our world. Yet again, we must do it God’s way, not by conventional means. Self-efforts and good intentions are never enough to defeat Satan. But when we remember who we are and whom we serve, the rest of the world will open their eyes as they witness God working in and through us. They will recognize the difference and desire what we have, because they, too, were made in God’s image.
The rest of the Isaiah chapter 60 and beyond demonstrate how the world around us changes when we, as followers of Jesus Christ, truly depend upon Jesus Christ our Light and allow Him to shine through us. These words both encourage and challenge us to rise above our status quo. When we truly take this seriously and act in faith, we (and they) will see the glory of the Lord become manifest in every avenue of life. Darkness still exists in many forms. Yet when we fully trust Him who is the Light, whole nations will be drawn to that Light, as Isaiah tells us (60:3). We will attract and draw others who hunger for light and truth (60:4), and we will see spiritual children coming from afar (60:4). As God’s people, we will experience unprecedented prosperity (60:5–7).
The whole world, including all of India, groans for the Light. We all groan for renewal and restoration. We will witness this hunger and yearning for the Light from people we never thought possible. Even the children of our enemies will desire what we have (60:14-15). We will experience a peace we have never known before (60:18). Moreover, rulers who oppose God and all the other evil systems of society, will become subject not only to God but also to us who have received His authority (60:10–12). We will become a joy to the world, because the world will see in us the Light it has long missed. Our days of mourning will come to an end, Isaiah tells us (60:20). These are just a few of the promises God gives through Isaiah and what the Light of Christ can achieve as we rise to claim what He has already given us.
Furthermore, Jesus Himself reinforces the words of Isaiah in passages such as Matthew 16:18–20. He says that the gates of hell will not prevail when we act with His delegated authority. The meek, He declares, will inherit the earth (Matthew 5), not merely go to heaven. Paul tells us in Romans 8 that the world groans for the revealing of the children of God. Again, we are called not just to be faithful churchgoers, but to be the ekklesia—the ruling assembly, the kings and priests of Revelation 5:10, who cause heaven to rejoice in celebration.
As children of God, each of us has been delegated a unique role to play in this drama—if we are willing to take it. Have you asked God what your role is? Have you risen to take hold of the task He has given you? Are you shining before your own ‘world’ with the Light of Christ and making a difference in your family, community and nation? Are you praying for a reformation, renaissance, awakening and revival in in your own heart, your family, among the people of God?
Our Light has already come in Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Savior and Lord. God is eagerly waiting to manifest His glory through you and me today, as we trust Him in ways we have never trusted Him before, until Isaiah 60 becomes a reality in our day.
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Father God, thank you for your Love and Light that has come into the world through your Son, Jesus. Oh Holy Spirit, awaken me and help me to better fulfil the role that you have given me to join your work and destroy the dark works of the devil. Shine your Light through me into this world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
