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God's Emerging City
The prophet Isaiah refers to the wicked as a troubled sea.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.
(Isaiah 57:20 NIV)
If the sea speaks of the unbelieving nations in turbulence, then it makes sense that the prophets would symbolically identify empires arising upon the Earth during times of international turmoil as beasts arising out of the sea (Daniel 7:3, 17; Revelation 13:1; 17:1, 15).
However, Isaiah tells us that the abundance of the sea will flow in toward God’s people.
Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles (Hebrew, GOY – the nations) shall come to you.
In other words, many souls will come into His house during times of turbulence among the nations (Haggai 2:7).[15]
History has indeed shown that many people do in fact turn to the Lord during times of international turmoil.
Today we see famines, pestilences, terrorism, and wars – certainly a picture of confusion. Of course, when has human history not looked like this? The Good News is that God has answers in such times. And it is the same answer He has had over the last two thousand years. He will cause His own glory to arise like the dawning of a new day upon His people.
Then Isaiah restated the promise concerning the sea’s abundance. The wealth of the nations shall come to you. Clearly, the earth’s primary wealth is the souls of men. God is not enamored with physical gold and silver; He sent His Son to die for people. So the influx of the wealth of nations should be seen as primarily an ingathering of humanity.
Today, America needs solutions. As a nation, we are stymied in the political, economic, and social arenas. And it is Heaven that has answers. The Church must understand that simply preaching Christian escapism (Lord Jesus, come and take us out of here) will not bring much hope to those who are lost.
Along this line, the hope of the nations is not another political platform either; it is the Lord God of Heaven and Earth. And He intends to arise upon His people.
On the other hand, while the greatest value in a nation is its people, it is probable that we should also take Isaiah literally concerning gold and silver. When people flow into God’s house, they bring their physical wealth with them. And God will use that wealth to extend His kingdom. We can rest assured that Heaven does not have a financial shortage. God will financially sustain His kingdom work in the coming years.
In fact, before the Church age is over, He will release what is necessary to take the Gospel of the Kingdom into the ends of the Earth. He will unleash an increasing number of men and women into ministries of writing, publishing, preaching, planting churches, and feeding the poor. The Earth will experience an avalanche of truth into the midst of its darkness, because God really does have answers.
Of course, darkness will not fully yield in defeat apart from Christ’s personal physical presence; how we long for His appearing. But until that day, we are filled with hope. We know that He will succeed in His work to prepare us for the many upcoming confrontations in this great history-concluding war.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.
Sometimes I grieve when I consider the present shortcomings of God’s house. But let us be hopeful. The Lord intends to so manifest His glory and to so remedy our present condition, that joy will fill His heart when He gazes upon His Church. Such a work of grace will stun the nations. In fact, according to Isaiah, God’s intention is nothing less than to glorify the house of His glory.
The flocks of Kedar and the rams of Nebaioth in the above verse probably refer to the Arab Islamic nations (Kedar and Nebaioth were the two oldest sons of Ishmael, the father of the Arabs). They will come into God’s house and their offerings will go up with acceptance on God’s altar.[16] In fact, according to Isaiah, God intends to arise in great power in Egypt, one of the leading nations in the Muslim world (Isaiah 19). With great hope in our hearts we anticipate those yet future days.
Then the prophet sees what appears to be a large number of soaring birds.
Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their roosts?
The prophet envisioned a great multitude of birds flocking home. Can you not just see in this symbolism the souls of men flooding into the house of God, finding their way home to their heavenly Father?
Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; and the ships of Tarshish will come first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of the LORD your God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.
The coastlands (the ends of the earth) are waiting for God’s salvation. After Jesus was raised from the dead, He commissioned His people to go into all the nations bringing the Good News of His resurrection and of His sovereign rule (Matthew 28:18 - 20). God’s heart was for the whole world. As a result, many have come into His house, and many will yet come bringing with them others to be born of the Spirit (their silver and their gold with them, as Isaiah indicated above).
What will be the reason for this influx? Think about God’s reputation. Today, the Lord’s Name is at stake. Many question whether He is really ruling the nations. And if so, how good of a job is He doing? Can He really be trusted?
But at the same time, many have discovered that His ways are perfect – far superior to man’s ways. And such insight, such Good News is going forth in our own day – He is indeed righteous in all His works. The result will be that many will stream to His house to learn His ways (Isaiah 2:2 - 3).
However, Isaiah indicates another reason why multitudes will turn toward God’s house. They will come because of His glory upon us. We cannot somehow make ourselves more worthy for Him to increase His manifest presence in our midst. All we can do is humble ourselves before Him and declare how much we need Him. And as He begins to arise upon us, we will find ourselves repenting and humbling ourselves all the more. Repentance and humility are the appropriate human responses to God’s holy presence.
Indeed, He will arise upon us because of His great mercy and compassion, not because we are worthy. If God’s purpose depended upon what we deserved, the world would simply remain in darkness.
Again, we will never make ourselves worthy of Him. When He arises and reveals himself to us, the only response that makes sense is to bow before Him. Repentance will increase in the Church in coming years, not because we will be trying to get Him to do something, but because He will have already begun arising among us.
Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion.
(Isaiah 60:10 NIV)
Many who are outside Christianity today will in coming years become the greatest builders of God’s house. Just as one of the greatest destroyers of the Church (Saul of Tarsus) became one of her greatest architects, so also the Lord has targeted today many foreigners to become future key citizens to build our walls. Though the Church has experienced His righteous disciplines and judgments, in the future we shall also know His favor in unprecedented ways.
When we consider Church history, we can see God’s chastening, His dealings, and His judgments among His people. But there is a dawning season of His favor where we will more fully experience His face turned toward us. Since God’s glory is found in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6), an increased face-to-face intimacy with God will mark the coming years.
Let us rejoice that God has determined to bring down all obstacles both inside and outside of His house, and to release the glory of His presence into all the Earth.
In the next chapter, we will see how Isaiah’s vision of God’s city dovetails with that of John’s in the Book of Revelation. John reveals God’s city as the vehicle for spiritual illumination now available to the nations and then articulates His present invitation for them to enter. Both Isaiah and John picture the city with her gates open continually. Both see the Lord himself as her source of light. The result will be a massive turning to God among the nations as even kings and political leaders respond to His call.
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