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(Part 2 of a 2 part study which seeks to refute the notion that the glories spoken of in this chapter refer to the ‘church’ and not to those clearly identified by the Lord in the chapter as the nation of Israel)

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee,” Isaiah 60:1.

I recently read with joy Isaiah chapter 60 as part of my daily Bible reading, though I confess that the notes at the beginning of the chapter in my Bible added by men, I found disconcerting and vexing to say the least. These notes are very common in most copies of the Authorised Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

The notes summarise the contents of Isaiah chapter 60 in the following fashion:

1. The glorious access of the Gentiles into the church. 15 The blessings of the church after affliction.

I wish to show in this study that this summary is very wrong. I continue with more reasons why it is wrong to see the ‘church’ rather than ‘Israel’ as the recipient of the glories spoken of in this chapter.

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1. Furthermore, There Are References To Past Troubles And Tribulations In This Chapter Which Can Refer Only To Israel

“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,” Isaiah 60:10.

“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. 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,” Isaiah 60:14-15.

“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,” Isaiah 60:18.

The authors of the notes at the beginning of the chapter would have us believe that from verse 15 to the end of the chapter  the Lord is speaking of “The blessings of the church after affliction”.

Now the Lord does chasten His church, of that we have no doubt. Paul says in his epistle to the Hebrews, 12:5-11. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (more…)

The following was a title given to a reader’s letter published in the “Belfast Newsletter”

Christians cannot be silent over new sex education guidelines in Northern Ireland schools, we must live out our faith.

Now I would agree 100% with that sentiment.

However, if Christians are going to say something, let it be in complete agreement with the Word of God!

The writer of the letter, who I am not naming for the simple reason that I have no wish to embarrass him, goes on to say, amongst other things, the following:

“And if the parents are Christian, then some of these topics are totally unacceptable because they are against the teachings that are in the Bible, and it will be up to them to explain this.

We are not to let anyone capture us with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. (Colossians 2:7-8).

Now it occurs to me as rather strange that anyone who sees a most serious threat to the moral wellbeing of a child, for the writer obviously does see developments within the state school system as indeed posing such a threat, is content with the action that the writer says he has taken to protect his offspring. (more…)