The Light for All Nations (Isaiah 60:1-22; Revelation 21:23-22:5)

This morning, we are concluding our Advent series based on the

ancient o antiphon prayers, which form the verses to the

hymn. We sang earlier, O come O come

Emmanuel in the verse we sang right at the beginning of this

service we sang and prayed for people from every nation to come

to Jesus Christ as their only Savior and as their true king

and we can sing that and we can pray that with confidence

because Cuz that promise is spread throughout the whole

Bible. From Genesis to Revelation the

promise that the Covenant promise that Redemption is not

only for one man or one family or one nation, but for people

from every tribe and tongue and nation and Isaiah 60, which is

the passage, we're going to focus on this morning, Isaiah

60, lays this out, in incredibly powerful and Beautiful language.

And so, it's a privilege to open this passage together for a few

minutes this morning. So if you will, please take your

bullets in and your Bible and stand together for the reading

of God's word. From Isaiah 60.

I'll read just the beginning portion of Isaiah 60 and then

also a passage that describes its fulfillment in the end in

Revelation 21. Arise Shine for your light has

come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you for behold

Darkness shall cover the Earth and thick Darkness.

The people's. But the Lord will arise upon

you, and His glory will be seen upon you and Nations shall come

to your light and Kings to the brightness of your Rising, lift

up, your eyes all around and see, they gather together.

They come to you, your son's shall Come from afar and your

daughters shall be carried on the hip.

Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill

and exalt because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to

you, the wealth of the Nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover, you and young camels of

Midian and ephah all those from Sheba shall come and they shall

bring gold and frankincense and shall bring good news.

The Praises of the Lord. From Revelation 21.

Speaking of this new city, this New Jerusalem The city has no

need of sun or moon to shine on it for the glory of God gives

its light. And its lamp is the Lamb by its

light. The Nations will walk in the

kings of the earth will bring their Glory into it and it's

Gates will never be shut by day and there will be no night

there. They will bring into it.

The glory and honor of the nation's but nothing unclean

will ever enter it nor anyone who does what is detestable or

false but But only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of

Life. This is the word of the Lord may

be seated. let's pray together father we ask that as we come to

this your word that that you would illuminate that you would

help us to see and understand and believe the promise of the

Gospel, the promise of all Redemptive history explained and

portrayed here by Isaiah and John Father, we pray that you

would fix our eyes on Jesus. The one who is our light?

It's in his name, we pray. Amen.

This morning, we have more kids in the sanctuary, probably than

usual because we don't have our usual programming for preschool

and elementary, and middle school and high school.

So, kids this morning as we start, I want to ask you a

question. You belong here, you are

worshipers here. So I want to ask you a question.

What is the most popular sport in the world?

All right. Well done.

Well done. The World Cup.

Probably helped you a little bit with that if you think of what

you usually play in the playground.

If you think about what's on TV, like continuously all weekend

this weekend, you might be tempted to think that football

is the most popular sport, but it is your right soccer.

Soccer is the most popular sport around the world.

The World Cup certainly emphasized that far more than

the Super Bowl or even the Olympics, the World Cup is the

sporting event that unites the Nations and unites people around

the globe to watch it and cheer in it.

The population of the planet in mid-november reached eight

billion people. It's estimated that between late

November and the championship final match, on December 18th,

that more than half of the world's population.

Watched some portion of the World Cup staggering.

It's absolutely staggering. But but think about that for a

moment. Consider a few things that Yes,

it's a unifying event, but think of some Dynamics number one,

only 32 nations were represented in those matches, only 32 of

more than 200 Nations. Number two, the nature of the

vent really isn't Unity its superiority, you want to win?

You want to make it to the end and be crowned, the champion,

and of course only one nation really went home Happy.

Argentina. Only that team only their fans

really went home, truly fully rejoicing and happy.

But what if I told you that there's another event happening

now, Involving every single nation that really will bring

perfect unity and perfect permanent.

Joy to every single participant, I'd be pretty cool. now, what if

I told you that the event has already started, And you are in

it, you're a participant in it, what I'm talking about is the

coming of Jesus Christ. His first coming, his second

coming. It is that thing which touches

every single nation and every single person in an Isaiah 60,

these comings of Jesus Christ, his first and second coming are

described poetically, with the imagery of light.

That's the metaphor used throughout the Bible for

Redemption. So often you think of the light

that Shone down over, Noah and his family, casting the colors

of a rainbow, you think of the light that Moses Encountered in

a burning bush or that led the people of Israel crossed the Red

Sea and through the Wilderness. You think of the light that John

said of Jesus, that he was the light of men, you think of what

we just read in Revelation at the new city.

This new, Heavenly Jerusalem is illumined by the glory of God in

the lamb Jesus Christ. and In this passage the prophet Isaiah

casts, an awe-inspiring vision for how Jesus Christ is a light

not only for His Covenant People Israel, but for all nations.

How Jesus is the light for all nations?

To be saved to bring glory to God, and to be healed to be

saved to bring glory to God, and to be healed, and encourage you

to open your Bible. Pastor our senior pastor, Mark

Davis has been encouraging us to bring our Bibles, that is a good

habit, to be in and renew as we enter a new year.

So encourage you to take out your Bible or use the Pew, Bible

in front of you. If you're open to the middle of

your Bible, you probably. Get to Psalms.

If you go a little bit to the right of middle you probably get

to Isaiah. And so if you're using a beaut,

bloop you Bible turn to page six nineteen and you'll find Isaiah

60. We're going to look at the

verses we read but also some additional verses this morning

but in these opening verses these first three verses are.

So we see Isaiah's promise that in the light of Jesus Christ,

All Nations. There's a offering of all

Nations to be saved. Look down with me at verse 3, in

particular, Isaiah writes, and Nations shall come to your light

and Kings to the brightness of your Rising.

He affirms that. That Redemption is coming to

God's people Israel. But also to those surrounding

God's people to the nation's. And this is a huge biblical

theme that the promise of redemption grows from a person

to a family to a community to a nation to All Nations.

If you flip back in your Bible to Genesis chapter 12, we read

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

that the Covenant promises made to Abraham and embedded in them

is a promise for the nation's. Genesis 12, verses 1 through 3,

Genesis 12:1–3

Moses writes. Now, the Lord said to Abram go

from your country and your Kindred and your father's house

to the land that I will show you.

And I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and

make your name great. So that you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you.

And Him who dishonors you? I will curse and in you all the

families of the Earth shall be blessed.

God promises Abram, family, and a land, and a blessing to the

nation's to all the families of the earth.

And of course it's in Jesus. That all of those promises, all

of those Covenant promises are fulfilled and so Jesus comes and

he says, I am the light of the world in John chapter 8.

John 8 · chapter mention

Eight. I am the light of the world or

as we read in Revelation chapter 21 of this new city, this

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

heavenly Jerusalem. This picture of the new Heaven

and new earth that God will Usher into our reality on the

last day. We read that the city has no

need of sun or moon to shine on it.

For the glory of God gives it's light and it's lamp is the lamb.

And by its light the Nations We'll walk John tells us that

the new heavens and the new Earth will be continuously.

And exclusively illuminated by the glory of the Lamb of God.

If you read the book of Revelation, you'll notice that

the most common title for Jesus, in The Book of Revelation is not

Jesus Christ or Son of God, or son of, man, or savior or

Redeemer. The most common title for Jesus,

in The Book of Revelation is the Lamb.

And it's a reminder to us that our faith and our savior that

our faith rests on a savior who was crucified a lamb of God, who

was slain for us, a spotless, pure Lamb of God.

Our savior is one who not only taught or performed Miracles,

but our faith is fixed on a savior who was born and

crucified and died and buried and raised again.

We worship every Sunday in that grand context of redemption of

Covenant promises made to Abraham and Covenant promises

fulfilled to Jesus end the focus of our worship being on Jesus

Christ, the Lamb of God we're surrounded by that story every

week and you might not notice it.

The stories told in the windows above you beginning from Genesis

through the Old Testament. The gospel is on these rear

windows all the way to revelation.

Yeah. And multiple places at least

three places in this Sanctuary. There is that symbol of the Lamb

of God? Jesus Christ, the resurrection

Lambs symbol that's been used. You see it in these two lower

Windows here, the Lamb with the resurrection flag over his

shoulder. It's a reminder to us that our

faith as God's people is fixed on Jesus Christ, and him

crucified. His glory, his brightness, the

light he brings comes through his suffering.

Through his death, through his resurrection.

And by the truth of his word and by the power of His spirit and

by the means of his church that good news of Jesus Christ.

The crucified risen Lamb of God is going to every tribe and

every tongue and every nation. How do we know it?

Yes. God promised it.

But how do we know that is actually coming true?

Well, you can serve a church history. you can look at piles

upon piles of data of how the nations are being reached Even

in our own age, but perhaps most compiling Lee, and clearly of

all Think of this proof. We're here.

We are the nation's. We are the Nations gathered

here. The gospel went out from

Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth

even crazy plate. Strange places like Dallas,

Texas. And two people like us.

Foreigners Outsiders historically, an ethnically

speaking to the promises originally made to God's people.

We are evidence that these things are true, and they're

continuing to come true, and we have the opportunity then from

from our own lives and our own homes and families and church,

to extend the gospel to the nation's surrounding us.

Both in other places. Has and even in our own City.

And so I would just Echo, Sam's words about the city at missions

Expo next week. Come, see how we are seeking to

engage the nation's, even here in our city even here in our

church. The promise of Salvation goes to

all the nations and it's important to make a distinction

that the promise is, not that every single person will be

saved at its that's universalism.

We the Bible does not teach that but rather that there are people

from every civilization from every tribe from every nation

who are being saved, as they placed their faith in Jesus

Christ. The Lamb of God, it's a

beautiful promise that this light this brightness has come,

it's come in. Christ's first coming.

It's expanding now and Shining brighter through the ministry of

the church and the word and the spirit it will come in its

fullness at Christ's second coming.

And so we see in this passage, Jesus Christ, the light bringing

salvation to All Nations. But s we also see all nations

bringing glory to God. All nations bringing glory to

God, as they come to Faith in Jesus Christ, let me read.

Look back down again and Isaiah. T.

And look at verse 6, we read this just a moment ago.

It says a multitude of camels shall cover you the young camels

of Midian and ephah and those from Sheba shall come and they

shall bring gold and frankincense and shall bring

good news. The Praises of the Lord, as

people from All Nations calm. They also bring with them, the

talents, the resources, the gifts that God has entrusted to

them and redeemed, for his glory, in the story of the birth

of Jesus. Christ.

And the thing we talked about in point to in Epiphany, is the

story of that being fulfilled in the wise men coming from the

East and bringing gold and frankincense.

It evens mentions those things right there in Isaiah 6, the

wise men and their gifts were a partial fulfillment of that

prophecy, but it also says that they bring other things, these

nations bring other things like camels.

Later on in verse 7, flocks of rams. later in verse 9, they

bring ships, says the ships of tarshish shall come And there's

also other precious wealth, silver and gold.

So why are the nation's bringing these things these resources to

the lord? Well, these are ways in which

the nations are bringing tribute laying at the feet of Jesus

Christ, those things which God gifted them with and trusted

them with and with all that they are and all that they have, they

are coming into the service into the worship.

Chip of Jesus Christ to praise him.

As verse 7 says, in verse 13, says, specifically to beautify

his worship and to beautify his house, there's Geographic

significance to this picture of Nations coming with their

wealth. The geographic significance is

that that Isaiah mentions Nations coming from all

directions, Midian from the south FIFA from the East keytar

and naboth from the north tarshish.

From the West just as the Book of Revelation sent out the

message of the Gospel to seven churches.

This promised here is a promise of people coming from all

directions, back to Jesus Christ, and to the worship of

God in the new Heaven and the new Earth, he flip again to

Revelation 21 where we read earlier, verse 24, speaks of the

kings of the earth. Bringing their Lori and then in

verse 26 it says that they will bring into it.

The glory and honor of the nation's the glory and honor of

the nation's kids, you probably remember that scene in the movie

Aladdin when Prince Ali comes into the city Prince, Ali

Worthy, is he Ali Ababwa and he comes with all these possessions

and animals and wealth in tribute.

To the King as a comical exaggerated version of of that

historic practice. Its ultimate fulfillment, though

is in how people from every tribe and tongue and Nation are

bringing their tribute to the feet of Jesus Christ.

And of course, the focus here in this passage is not the

possessions themselves. It's not the gold, it's not the

frankincense, it's not the flocks, it's the hearts and the

lives of the people. Coming into the presence of God,

being transformed, to be worshippers Eternal, worshippers

of the lamb in the new Heaven and the new Earth as we enter a

new year, think of how your heart needs that.

Orientation that your worship, your passion, your desires to be

fixed on Jesus Christ. And with all that you have, and

with all that you are pouring into the worship and work of

Jesus Christ, the King. That will be your activity in

all eternity. How wonderful to start now, it

is good. It's commanded.

And it's a joy. And so God's light goes out in

Jesus Christ. Not only to save people from All

Nations and for all nations to bring their glory to God.

But then finally we see in this passage at the end of Isaiah 60

and the very beginning of revelation, 22 the promise that

in Jesus Christ. There is light for all nations

to be healed for all nations to be healed.

There's not only salvation and and worship and Glory, but

there's healing for the people who come.

If you look down and Isaiah 60 beginning in verse 17, notice

you see a repeated phrase. There's a there's these phrases

that emphasize the great reversals of Fortune the great

reversals of Providence for God's people. once having

suffered once having endured long oppression, hope and

healing comes in verse 17. The repeated phrase is instead

of Isaiah writes instead of bronze, I will bring gold

instead of iron. I will bring silver instead of

wood bronze. Instead of Stones iron, I will

make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness.

It's this picture of blessing and healing coming to God's

people, once poor and Scattered and oppressed and then it goes

on in verses 18 through 20 with the repeated phrase, no more

three. Times.

Isaiah says no more. He says violence shall no more

be heard in your land Devastation or destruction

within your borders. You shall call your walls

salvation, your Gates, praise the sun shall be no more your

light by day, nor for brightness, shall the moon, give

you light, but the Lord will be your Everlasting Light and your

God Will Be Your Glory. Your son shall no more go down

nor your moon, withdraw itself for the Lord, will be your

Everlasting Light and your days of mourning shall be ended.

That phrase is so powerful. The Lord will be your

Everlasting Light and your days of mourning shall be ended.

Listen to how John describes it in Revelation, chapter 22 in the

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

first few verses. This is Page 1041.

If you're still following along, in that Pew, Bible says then the

angel showed me the river of the Water of Life bright, as Crystal

flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb, through the

middle of the street of the city.

Also on either side of the river the Tree of Life.

With its 12 kinds of fruit yielding, its fruit.

Each month, the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the

nation's. That's the picture that so

soothe and Comforts us as God's people that there is a day

coming with no more sin with no more sorrow with no more pain

with No More Tears. That we will be in the presence

of God. At the Tree of Life.

Once guarded by angels, to prevent us from accessing, it

will be opened to us as God's people.

For our healing. In her commentary, her new

commentary on the Book of Revelation.

Nancy Guthrie, writes this tying together.

This the story of the Tree of Life from the garden to the New

Jerusalem, she writes in the beginning, God planted a garden.

The tree of life was in the midst of the garden because of

their Disobedience. Adam and Eve were banished from

the garden and God placed the cherubim and a flaming sword

that turned every way to guard the tree of life.

So God sent his son, a second. Adam who also faced Temptation

regarding a tree, the tree of Calvary, but to make it possible

for his people to enter into the presence of God.

Jesus came under the Flaming sword on the cross.

Jesus was pierced by The Flaming sword of judgment Jesus entered

into death, so that we might enter into this greater Garden

that John saw in his vision again.

Again, and again, the promises of the Gospel, the promise of

Salvation, the promise of beautiful, true worship, the

promise of healing from All Things, sad from All Things,

discouraging from All Things leading to death.

All of that will be healed. And only because of the

suffering and death of our faithful Lamb of God.

Jesus Christ. Kids, some of, you know, this

book, The Jesus story book Bible, there's a great line at

the end of the book. Where the author writes look,

God. And his children are together

again. No more running away.

Or hiding no more crying or being lonely or afraid, no more

being sick or dying because all those things are gone.

Yes, they're gone forever. Everything sad has come untrue.

That's the promise for us as God's people and we are called

and equipped in this age to not keep it to ourselves.

But that in every conversation in every responsibility that we

have in this new year in every moment where the holy spirit

opens that door, we are Faithfully to speak of and

reflect the light of Jesus Christ.

You may know that in this past year NASA redoubled its efforts

to return to the moon and it said that by 2025 or in the year

2025 NASA and SpaceX will combine efforts to return

American astronauts to the moon. It's fascinating stuff.

But it's important as you think of the Moon in these coming

years think of this. There's a beautiful quote that

reminds us of our place in this age pointing people to Jesus

Christ. One author.

Michael Horton says the church is never the Sun, but always the

moon never creating but only reflecting the light of the

world. In other words, if we long to

see the nation's come we better, not point to ourselves.

We better not point to our institutions and our

accomplishments we as the people of God are continually pointing

to the Sun to Jesus Christ. And as we do, so, simply

reflecting him as the light of the world.

That is God's Plan of Redemption.

That is God's plan for the Nations to come that our eyes,

and our mouths, and our hearts, and our lives will be fixed on

Jesus. Christ, may it be.

So for all of us in this new year, Heavenly Father, we thank

you for the promises of your word.

We ask that we as a church. Would be re-inspired, Andre

motivated and reinvigorated by the reality that you are calling

People Like Us from every tribe and tongue and Nation to your

son, Jesus. May you show us in this new year

ways? We can pray and labor and work

for your gospel to go forth to all people.

To our neighbors in our city and to those around the world.

Father, use us in the few days. You've given us use us to point.

All we meet to Jesus to his light to his salvation and to

the healing that alone is found in him.

We pray in Jesus name, amen.