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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
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Arise, shine – Has a double application-first to spiritual Israel, and second, to Israel after the flesh. R2036:1, R2372:5
"Arise, give light." R1746:6
Beginning to be spoken to natural Israel in 1878. R107:2*
Reminding us of our Lord's counsel to Mary after his resurrection. When she would linger in his presence he reminded her to bear the good tidings to the other disciples. R2036:6
Through the secondary instrumentality of the fleshly seed of Abraham shall all the nations of the world be blessed. R1746:6
God's message to fleshly Israel at the dawn of the Millennial age. R1747:1
The prophet calls upon the saints to shine now; all who have been enlightened by the Harvest Message. R2036:2
Thy light is come – "The Sun of Righteousness," the Lord Jesus at his second advent. R2036:1
Light, to Israel, was the hope of the resurrection. That hope is not yet realized, "waiting for the completion of the resurrection of Christ." R751:2*
The Bride (as part of the "Sun of Righteousness"). R238:2*[R237:15], R2037:4[R2037:5]
The Lamb (Head and Body) is the light thereof. (Rev. 21:23) R244:1*
When the finished Temple of God shall displace the present tabernacle. R1982:2
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| 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. |
Behold, the darkness – Confused regarding the plan of God; from the standpoint of human creeds. CR267:2; A18
Evidenced by the some 600 sects of Christian people, besides other sects of other religious people. CR267:2
Cover the earth – Civilized society. R3686:2; CR227:4
And will continue to do so until all the members of the Church, the "Body" of the great High Priest, shall have first gone beyond the second veil (actual death) into the Most Holy by resurrection change. T90
Of the world's population of 1,424,000,000 (1883) nearly two-thirds are still total heathen, and the remainder are mostly Mohammedan or followers of great apostate churches. R535:2*
The entire 6,000 years of the reign of sin, from Adam's disobedience until the establishment of the reign of Christ, has been a night time. HG433:3
Satan is "the ruler of the darkness of this world." (Eph. 6:12) A68
But the world is not always to remain in this condition. "The morning cometh." (Isa. 21:12) A21
And gross darkness – "The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not." (2 Cor. 4:4) T90; R2122:6
There are different shades of darkness. R5099:5; CR220:5
The majority are not able to see the desirability of the truth. R5338:3
Notwithstanding the faithfulness of Jesus and a few lightbearers. R4987:6
Human affairs have become demoralized by the darkness of ignorance and superstition. R5097:2
God's people have need to take heed to every step. CR251:4
The people – The heathen. R3686:2; CR220:4; SM240:2, SM435:2
Glory shall be seen – The bow of promise; the Lord comes while yet darkness covers the earth. A18; R2036:2
There is a refractive light and influence wherever the Lord's saints reside. SM699:T
When, by and by, we shall shine in the glory of the Kingdom for the blessing of the whole world. R2036:5
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| 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. |
And the Gentiles – The nations of the earth in general, the heathen. A18, R535:1
Not only the living Gentiles. but also the living Jews, shall come to the light and blessing of the Millennial Kingdom. R2402:4
Come to thy light – Applies to spiritual Israel; also to fleshly Israel restored to favor. D638
After the resurrection of the Church. Christ will be revealed in glory and light to Israel. They shall fall before him and go out as a people through whom God will lighten the Gentiles. R751:3*
From Israel the light will shine out which will bring the chastened world to its knees and usher in the pouring out of the spirit of holiness "upon all flesh." D639
The world will be given time to see in Israel the operation of divine government, in contrast with anarchy, so that the majority of all nations shall desire the Kingdom rule. D638
None shall be permitted to languish in darkness or fail of eternal life by reason of lack of knowledge, but in due time all the blind eyes shall be opened. R2409:1
And kings – Earth's principal ones. D638
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| 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. |
And thy daughters – "And I will give them (Sodom and Samaria) unto thee for daughters." (Ezek. 16:61) D638
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| 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. |
Then – During the Millennial age. E23
Thou shalt see – A glorious day of opening blinded eyes. D638
Flow together – Be filled with light. D638
Thine heart shall fear – Heart shall be awed. D638
God does not desire the service of fear, except that filial fear which is inspired by love, which dreads to incur his displeasure or to be ungrateful for his favors. R829:6*
The abundance – Now. however, the great Fisherman has no special use for any more or other than one kind of fish. R920:2
Of the sea – The anarchistic masses. D638
Shall be converted – His enemies shall fall before him. They will be enemies no more. It is the error that made them enemies--the falsehood. HG272:6
The forces of – The best of the Gentiles. D638
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| 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD.
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| 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. |
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| 8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? |
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| 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. |
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| 10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
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| 11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. |
Gates shall be open – Compare with Isa. 26:2 and Rev. 21:24-26. R1951:1, R2338:3
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| 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. |
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| 13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
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My sanctuary – All mankind's blessings (Rev. 21:3-5) will result from the establishment of God's residence or sanctuary among men. T76
I will make – At about this time we are to expect wonderful contortions of nature and some radical changes in earth's conditions to make it more adapted to the wants of man during the Millennial age and throughout eternity. HG400:6
The place of my feet – "Earth is my footstool." (Isa. 66:1) T76; R1874:5, R286:2, R5060:5, R5078:4, R5364:4, R5839:1, R6013:5
The promises of God to the children of Isaac and Jacob are not heavenly or spiritual, but earthly. SM504:T
Glorious – The restored earth. D647, SM37:3, SM389:2, SM504:T, OV351:1
Paradise restored will no longer be a garden merely, but the whole earth. SM503:2; OV351:1; HG435:2
When the Kingdom is set up. R5058:1, R4768:1, R5839:1 Isaiah 60:14
The city of the LORD – Earthly or heavenly Jerusalem. R56:1*
The Zion – Not only the earthly Jerusalem is called Zion, but also the heavenly. (Heb. 12:18, 22) R56:5*
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| 14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. |
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| 15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. |
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| 16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. |
And thy Redeemer – Author of the divine plan of redemption. E33
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| 17 For copper I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood copper, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. |
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| 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. |
Walls Salvation – Symbolic of protection and security. R333:6
The salvation walls rest securely on the finished redemption-- the completed foundation as expressed by Jesus, the apostles and prophets. (Eph. 2:20) R333:6
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| 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
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| 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. |
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| 21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. |
Of my planting – The Vine of Jehovah's right-hand planting. R3544:3, R3806:5
"I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman.", (John 15:1) R3544:2
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| 22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. |
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