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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. Life up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shall 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. 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.

 

Six verses. Six powerful verses. The prophet Isaiah is telling of the story of the Messiah (Jesus) and what to expect as well as what the results of his coming will be. First, he lays the foundation of the sheer truth and darkness was in the world and the world embraced it. Then, just as John wrote in his gospel, the light came into the darkness and overcame it. And too the Gentiles came unto the light as well. Then kings were drawn towards the brightness of the light.

So, it is written here about the forces of the Gentiles and that they were drawn to the brightness of the light. God does this. He wants all to come unto him. Was this a prophecy of the three Kings coming to visit the newborn Jesus? The reader can ponder about this part of the text. And if so, when the three kings arrived, the entire garrison of Jerusalem did shudder with fear. And yet had they read this passage, they would have known these men came to see the Messiah. They had this at the time of Christ. And they would know of God's plan for both them and all mankind.

Lord, keep us in thy word that we may see the signs of your son Jesus in our hearts. Let us allow our hearts to guide us in your word. Amen!

Russ Nixon

rwnixon57@yahoo.com