A TIME TO ARISE AND SHINE

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 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. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 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." Isaiah 60:1-4

These beautiful verses were a promise from the Lord to Israel's children after Israel's 70 years of Babylonian captivity. This same promise is to His church that He said He would have when they would be in trouble. That includes His church today. Remember in God's Word He said in Romans 2:11, "For there is no respect of person's with God," and also in Mark 13:37, Jesus tells us, "And what I say unto you I say unto all..." He is always faithful and never fails.

Consider what some of the conditions were in the days of captivity. They suffered through the darkness of a lengthy exile. Their own sin had caused them to be beaten down. God has punished them but never intended to destroy them. He is now going to raise them out of the devastating darkness they have been in. He is the Light they will be in. He seemed to be distant for these years, but now everything is going to change. They must arise and show forth the Light and Glory of their great Deliverer. Verse 2 of Isaiah 60 describes the conditions they were in, "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." Instead of living under the bondage of their enemies, they now are promised "...the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 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." Kings will come to their brightness and multitudes will gather to them. (There is much more that needs to be said for even better understanding, but there is a lack of space).

In conclusion, I will use a saint's writings from hundreds of years ago on our day's spiritual truth. He wrote, "As, in the two preceding chapters, the hypocrisy and formality, the profaneness and immorality, that should abound in the latter day, and even among professors of religion, are prophesied of; so, in this, a very ample account is given of latter daylight and glory; of both the spiritual and personal reign of Christ, with the latter of which it concludes. The light and glory of the church, in the spiritual reign, are described, Isaiah 60:1 the numerous conversions of persons to it from all quarters, east and west particularly, are prophesied of, Isaiah 60:4, the great usefulness those should be of unto it, in enriching it, and building it up, and in glorifying it, is declared, Isaiah 60:9, as also the subjection of enemies to it; the favours it should receive from kings, and the fame and renown of it through all nations and ages."

God's people, I believe in the midst of all that we are experiencing in this year of our Lord, February 2022 is now the time to arise and shine. In Jesus name, we will.

Robert Turnage
President of the School Of Christ International