Isaiah 60:5, commentary and pictures

After the Lord's glory and light rises upon Zion and His people through Christ, Gentiles and nations are drawn to that light and gather to them. To see and flow together is to see scattered sons and daughters coming from far and uniting in joy, with the heart filled with reverent awe and enlarged with wonder, joy and expectation, because a great multitude turns to the light and brings wealth, strength and resources with them. This is a worldwide gathering with the spread of the gospel and the growth of God's church, whose glorious fulfillment is still future and will come in the last days more fully than ever when the remnant is fully separated from evil and heaven's light rests richly upon it. The promise is ground for enlarged faith and expectation, calling Christ's followers to be consecrated, to study and heed Isaiah 60-65, to repent and reform, and to reflect Christ's love and shine as lights in carrying salvation to every nation at home and abroad. That coming of people and means gives confidence to ask those who hold wealth in trust to supply it for worldwide missionary work, since by a converted life receiving light and grace each one restored to God can help others find the right way.

The Gathering Foretold

The promise comes after the Lord's glory and light has risen upon Zion and upon His people, and through Christ the Gentiles and the nations are drawn to that light and gather to God's people. As the Lord's light reaches them they come to the light, and their coming brings joy and amazement while the community is enlarged as the wealth and strength of the nations are brought in. It is the worldwide gathering that accompanies the spread of the gospel and the growth of God's church.

Seeing and flowing together is seeing the great gathering and coming together, for scattered sons and daughters from far are seen gathering and coming together in joy. They see the light and come together bringing the abundance of the nations, and this promised influx is grounds for enlarged faith and expectation. In the last days the remnant church shall see and flow together as sons come from far and daughters are nursed at the side.

The fearing and enlarging of the heart is being filled with reverent awe and enlarged with joy, wonder, and expectation at seeing the gathering. The sight fills the heart with awe and enlarges it, and their arrival brings the response of awe that enlarges the heart with joy. Their coming brings joy and amazement to the community.

The abundance of the sea being converted and the forces of the Gentiles coming is a great influx and multitude of people turning to the light, with their wealth, strength, and resources brought in. People from among the nations come and their abundance is brought to God's people, picturing this ingathering. Through Him the abundance of the nations comes to Zion, and the sight of this gathering fills her with awe and enlarges her heart.

The verse portrays a worldwide gathering, in keeping with the call to carry the message of salvation and mercy to every nation and people. Its chapter gives inspiration and encouragement to those called to take part in God's work on earth, including entering new fields and spreading the gospel.

Its glorious fulfillment is still future, so faith and expectation must be enlarged to look for it. It speaks of the remnant church in the last days, when God's people separate themselves fully from evil so that the light of heaven can rest upon them in rich measure and shine forth from them to the world. Then Gentiles shall come to their light and kings to the brightness of their rising, and this prophecy will be fulfilled more fully than it has ever been fulfilled in the past.

The enlargement points to many conversions, especially from the world rather than from within the church. Its fulfillment is shown in conversions that come more abundantly from the world than from the churches, as people see and gather and hearts are enlarged by the arrival of many converts. These converts proclaim the Lord's praises.

Faith and Mission Response

The promised ingathering is ground for enlarged faith and expectation looking for its fulfillment, for its glorious fulfillment is still future. The promise is that those who see the light will come together to it, and the abundance of the sea and the wealth and strength of the nations will come and be converted to God's people. At that sight the heart fears with reverent awe and is enlarged with joy and wonder. Isaiah 60 with chapter 61, as part of chapters 60-65, must be studied, heeded, and accepted. Its meaning is understood only with faith and thorough consecration to God, with heed to reproof, with neglected duty to warn the people of truth made up so that unwarned souls hear the reasons of faith, and with reformation that stops all complaining and every evil work, puts away evil works, comes nigh, repents, and is converted. When this is done, chapter 60 with chapter 61 is understood and chapters 62-65 speak in a most decided manner, and the Lord manifests His power in the conviction and conversion of souls.

The verse calls Christ's followers to reflect Christ's love and shine as lights to the world while carrying the worldwide proclamation of salvation and mercy to every nation and people. For when God's glory shines upon His people, people from the nations gather to them and come to the light, and their coming with their abundance fills the heart with awe and enlarges it with joy. This is the church's work at home and in distant regions, for those nearby and abroad. The chapter gives inspiration and encouragement to those called to take part in God's work on earth, including entering new fields and spreading the gospel.

Proclaiming the gospel message for this time means ministry of the Word and true education in every church with a certain sound. That work takes hold of heart and character to beautify and ennoble individuality and to build up and restore humanity, using diversity of talent and instrumentalities in missionary work. It bears sharp, strong messages and consolation by carrying the third angel's message and uplifting the banner of truth, because conversion is in it through the perfect law of the Lord that converts the soul. The coming of people and resources with the forces of the Gentiles and the abundance of the sea converted to God's people encourages confidence to ask wealthy people to supply means for missionary work in all parts of the world. Wealthy men hold the Lord's money in trust, and God's workers have a perfect right to ask them to help sustain the work and should not be too delicate or afraid to ask, for some will come to help and will count it a privilege to give toward the extensive gathering of souls, since time is short and the coming of the Lord is very near.

The gathering reflects God's converting power, so one restored to right relation with God's work and receiving His light and grace can by a converted life help others find the right way. As the abundance of the nations comes, hearts are enlarged, and a minister thus restored teaches others by that change.