The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but Jehovah shall be thine everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Isaiah 60 describes Jerusalem lifted into glory, and here the prophet reaches the point where even sunlight becomes unnecessary. The questions are simple ones: who is being addressed, when does this happen, and what does it mean for God Himself to take the place of the sun?
One writer traces the sequence through the surrounding chapters. The chapter follows the Lord's appearing, and the city's light draws the nations to it.
Notice in Isaiah 60: when Jerusalem's light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines on her, darkness covers the land and thick darkness the different peoples. Then her light gathers them all to itself. This chapter describes the glory... Chapters 58 and 59 are the time before the Lord's appearing; chapter 60 is the effect of that appearing... Chapter 60 brings in the sovereign re-establishment of Jerusalem in glory, the fruit of God's own sovereign power and good pleasure.
The "you" of this verse is not a figure of speech for the church. The blessing is measured by an earthly standard, and that points in one direction.
Here is overwhelming evidence, if any more were wanted, that the church — on earth or in heaven — is not pictured here. It is the ancient people of God, blessed according to His promise and prophecy. For the rule here is righteousness dealt out by an earthly measure. It is the day not of a chosen witness, but of "your people shall all be righteous" — and that in prosperous power, not in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings.
The two lights set aside stand for more than astronomy. One writer takes them as the powers Israel has had to lean on, and what replaces them is not a brighter lamp but a Person who teaches and guides.
In that day the sun will no longer be Israel's light by day, and the moon will no longer shine for God's earthly people. They will not need to lean on the ruling powers of earth any more — neither the highest of them nor those that borrow their authority. "But the LORD will be" their "everlasting light," and their God their glory. As their everlasting light, the Lord will be the source of their light for ever. He will bring them the knowledge of God, guide them in His ways, and show them all that God has purposed for their rich and lasting blessing.
Two other passages describe a face shining like the sun. Set beside Isaiah, they give the everlasting light a name.
The other scripture is connected with the transfiguration of our Lord, where we read, "his face shone like the sun" (Matthew 17). The reader may compare what John saw in his vision: "his face was like the sun shining in full strength" (Revelation 1:16). These are quoted as unquestionable proof that Christ Himself is the Sun of righteousness, just as we have also seen in Isaiah, "the LORD will be your everlasting light." This is a great thing for our souls, because it fixes our eyes on the coming glory of the One who, as our Redeemer and Lord, has already made His home in our hearts.
Readers have long noticed how closely Isaiah's language runs alongside the description of the heavenly city in Revelation 21. The overlap is real, and so is the difference.
The presence of the Lord is the glory of both cities. The gates of both are open continually to receive the wealth and honour of the nations. Both have an abundance of "gold," and find their everlasting "light" in the Lord.
Isaiah does not say the sun stops existing; he says it stops being needed as her light. That distinction is what separates the earthly city from the heavenly one.
The earthly city will know a glory brighter than the sun, but the heavenly city will have no need of the sun, for the Lamb is its light. Gold will be brought into the earthly city in abundance; in the heavenly city it forms the street, and they walk on it. We think we may say that the difference comes from the introduction, in Revelation, of THE LAMB.
The second half of the verse gives Israel a new boast. Their mourning had two causes, and one writer names both.
God, their everlasting light, will then indeed be their glory. They will find their delight and their boast in Him, and their days of mourning will be over. While they are scattered among the nations they mourn their lot, but that lot is God's righteous judgment on them. Restored to the land, they mourn again when they discover that the One they rejected and crucified is none other than their Messiah. When the days of mourning end, they will bask in the light of the Sun of righteousness.
- Light comes. The chapter follows the Lord's own appearing. Jerusalem's brightness is not her achievement; it is His sovereign work resting on her.
- Light replaces. Sun and moon stand for the earthly powers she once leaned on. When God is the source, borrowed light is no longer needed.
- Light has a name. The everlasting Light is Christ, the Sun of righteousness — the same One whose face shone like the sun.
- Light spreads. Darkness covers the peoples, and her light gathers them all to itself.
- Light heals. With God as her glory, the mourning ends — both the sorrow of exile and the grief of realising whom she crucified.
Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for Jehovah shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Isaiah 60 closes with a promise of light for a city that has known long darkness: a sun that never sets, a moon that never goes out. Commentators ask who God speaks to here, what this light is, and what mourning it ends.
One writer reads the verses around this promise as settling the question: an earthly standard, a national blessing, a whole people made righteous.
This is overwhelming evidence, if any more were needed, that the church on earth or in heaven is not pictured here, but the ancient people of God blessed according to His promise and prophecy. The rule here is righteousness measured by an earthly standard. It is also a day not for a chosen witness, but one in which "your people shall all be righteous," and this in prosperous power — not in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, being made like Him in His death.
Sun and moon stand here for ruling powers — one supreme, one reflecting its light. Their removal is not a loss but a change of source.
In that day, "the sun shall be no more" Israel's light by day; "nor for brightness shall the moon give" light to God's earthly people, for they shall no more need to rely on the supreme and derived authorities of earth, "but the Lord will be" their "everlasting light," and their God their glory (Isa. 60:19). As their everlasting light, the Lord will be their source of light forever. He will bring them the knowledge of God and direct them in His ways.
Verse 19 says the sun; verse 20 says your sun. That small shift carries the weight of the verse. It also explains why this light can never be withdrawn.
The next verse has a remarkable change. It is no longer "The sun," but "Your sun," not the supreme authorities of earth, but "the Sun of righteousness" that has arisen for them "with healing in His wings" (Mal. 4:2). Their Messiah has returned to bring to them all the promised blessing, and this Sun "shall no more go down": they will have His light, direction and brightness forever… and this will never again be withdrawn because of their unfaithfulness. Their place of prominence among the nations, and their divine blessing, will not rest on the old covenant they could not keep. It rests on the new covenant in the blood of Jesus.
Two other passages describe the face of Christ shining like the sun. One writer reads them as settling who this light is.
"And His face shone like the sun" (Matt. 17), which the reader may compare with the statement in the vision granted to John, "His face was like the sun shining in full strength" (Rev. 1:16). These are cited as the sure proof that it is Christ Himself who is the Sun of righteousness. We have seen the same in Isaiah: "The Lord will be your everlasting light." This is a great thing for our souls, because it fixes our eyes upon the coming glory of the One who, as our Redeemer and Lord, has already made His home in our hearts.
The closing line assumes real grief. One writer traces two kinds of it, and the same light ends both.
While scattered among the nations they mourn their lot, but it is God's righteous judgment on them. Back in the land they mourn again, when they discover that the One they rejected and crucified is none other than their Messiah. But when the days of mourning are over, they will bask in the light of the Sun of righteousness. They will live in the everlasting light of their God, seen in Messiah their King.
One writer places the source of that light above the city itself.
The light of the earthly city will be derived from that which shines down through the holy Jerusalem (Isa. 60:19-20)… for the heavenly city will be above and over the earthly one.
The verse looks ahead. One writer describes what God is doing in the meantime.
That day, however, has not yet come. A higher and greater work of God is going on in the earth: He is calling out the assembly by the preaching of Christ… Meanwhile, the earthly city is still desolate. She has not yet returned to her Royal Owner, or to her royal splendour.
- Night — Israel's long darkness is God's righteous judgment, and grief deepens when they see the Messiah they crucified.
- Sunrise — "Your sun" is the Sun of righteousness risen with healing: Christ Himself, whose face shines like the sun.
- No setting — the light holds because it rests on the new covenant in the blood of Jesus, not on a covenant they could not keep.
- New source — Israel no longer needs earth's ruling lights; the Lord Himself is their light, shining down from the city above.
- Meanwhile — the day is still future. The city stays desolate while God calls out the assembly, so this verse is hope, not history.