Chapter 60 This chapter presents the ultimate result of the events of the previous chapter. The previous chapter had the Lord visiting the earth with retribution, only the repentant are spared His wrath. And with the righteous remnant the Lord forms an eternal covenant of peace. With this covenant of peace and the abolition of wickedness comes Zion's rise out of obscurity. All remnants of the earth flock to Zion and carry natural Israel with them as they pay homage to the Lord in donating their wealth to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. This chapter shares a good deal in common in theme with ch. 54: the redemption of the one formerly forsaken, the wealth and offspring of nations coming to Jerusalem and her subsequent rebuilding. See also the redemption of Zion themes from 49:14-52:12. This chapter also closely parallels ch. 62, which I argue is the chiastic complement. Pretty much all of the Early LDS Church General Authority comments on this chapter portray the Zion here as referring to the eschatological Zion the early Church was tasked with establishing moreso than Jerusalem. The majority of them are from Young and Orson Pratt. There is no indication that Smith interpreted this chapter in such a manner. Thus, they and the CES tend to favor this chapter as referring to eschatological Zion as opposed to millennial Zion. I tend to disagree them. v1-13 Where Jerusalem has been besieged and plundered by the nations, she will now be the recipient of the nation's wealth. With the ingathering nations comes the remnants of natural Israel. The true purpose however of these ingathering people is to go to the Lord's House, the Temple to covenant with Him. The AB states, "The dominant theme which emerges from these images is the theme of peace and security. All hostile forces are removed, either by voluntary submission or by destruction.... The city whose gates are always open lives with no fear of attack; and the prophet adds with a quaint imaginative touch that they must always be open because the traffic in tribute will go on for twenty-four each day." While the AB considers it "quaint", the WB and myself consider it to be more symbolically indicative of the peoples flowing to Zion day and night. v1-3 can be arranged chiastically. v1 Being in the light is symbolically indicative of having your eyes opened, being in the Lord's favor, being in the Lord's presence, having salvation granted, having truth, etc. v1a "Arise!" This command to lift themselves is connected to the substance of 40:28-31 (i.e. cease to be weary) and 51:17 (i.e. stand up out of the dust of obscurity and oppression). v1a "shine...light", for various refs. to Israel/Zion as a light cp. 2:5, 9:2, 42:6, 51:9, 58:8-10, 60:19-20, 62:1. v1b equates the advent of the Lord with salvation, cp. 40:10, 56:1, 62:11, 63:4, 66:15. v2 Destruction and darkness for the wicked world as treated in ch. 59, but light and salvation to Zion. Compare 9:1-3 for a similar statement. See also Ps. 18. This antithesis between darkness and light is symbolism treated considerably in John's writings. v2a-b is quoted in D&C 112:23 and Smith comments on it at length in TPJS pg. 47. For additional refs to darkness cp. 5:30, 8:22. v2c-d Compare 4:5. v3 The fulfillment of 2:2-3 and Micah 4:1-2, cp. 62:1-2. v4 Scattered Israel is gathered, cp. 49:18 and 22. The theme of the gathering of Israel's scattered remnant is repeated in v. 9, thus v. 4 and 9 serve as brackets about the intervening text that indicates who is bringing Israel's sons to Jerusalem, i.e. the nations. v5 Israel is obviously very pleased about their turn in fortune. Not surprising since only the repentant described in the previous chapter (cf. 59:9-15b) survived and they had confessed their unworthy state. v6-7 Employing the theme from Haggai, a classic Temple renovation themed book, Isaiah presents the events herein described as the fulfillment of Haggai 2:6-9. Midian, Ephah, Sheba, Kedar and Nebaioth are all Arabian tribes generally situated south of Jerusalem. All of these tribes bring flocks and incense for the altar of the Lord, implying they are come up to worship at Jerusalem. Given the historical divisions between Isaac and Ishmael (i.e. the father of all the Arabian tribes) and particularly the contemporary divisions between their offspring, this seems a particularly incredible prediction. The worship of the Lord is submission to Israel. v6 is occasionally compared with the wise men's visits to the Christ child's manger because of line d, cf. Matt. 2:1-2. This seems more fanciful than anything as the context is clearly eschatological and dealing with Zion and the temple. v6a "Dustclouds of camels", the massive amounts of camels causing these dust clouds implies they are carrying tremendous amounts of wealth, cp. 66:20. v6e Compare 42:10-12. v7c "welcome offering on My altar", As we would interpret this passage to be post-apocalyptic (assuming ch. 59 is referring to the Day of the Lord) and therefore millennial, we wouldn't be in a big rush to interpret this passage literally given the abolition of the Law of Sacrifice. We could easily see the rams instead as a free-will offering or donation to the Temple and her stewards. I guess because of the literalist streak in me I just have to wonder if literal animal sacrifices will be performed in the millennium, cf. D&C 13, 84:31. They were symbolic during the Law of Sacrifice, perhaps they will again be symbolic of the Atonement when the Savior is in our midst. v7d Compare 56:6-7. v8 describes flocks of doves that swarm so thick that they look like clouds. Symbolic of the gathering of the nations to Jerusalem. The imagery harks back to the large multi-storied nesting buildings used anciently when doves were a food supply. Some are still in use today in the middle east. v9b "ships of Tarshish", The AB states of the referenced ship, "[it] was a large heavy vessel built for voyages with high tonnage. Tarshish was not a place but an industrial installation, a metal refinery." Thus, we have huge ships with massive capacities loaded with the silver and gold of nations and the sons of scattered Israel. Tarshish is also referenced in ch. 23, but there doesn't seem to be much rhetorical connection between there and here. The primary intent here appears to be indicating that these large far sailing ships will be employed in transporting the nations and their wealth to Jerusalem. v9c "sons from afar", cp. 11:11-12, 43:5. v9e-f The Lord glorifies Israel to preserve the sanctity of His Name and is therefore glorified Himself, cp. Moses 1:39. Also cp. 42:21. v10 We have a role reversal here. Israel was forced into servitude for other nations because of her rebellion. Now the other nations are forced into servitude and/or repay Israel, cp. 23:17-18, 45:14, 49:17- 18, 54:7-12, 58:12, 62:8. v10c-d "in anger", cp. 5:25, 10:5, 14:6. Note the dual aspects of the same Lord, He is capable of both anger and mercy, cf. the repeated Justice-Mercy themes from ch. 42-44. v11 Rev. 21:25 appears to be a derivative of this verse. Similar in content to v. 17-18. v12 The outwardly hostile, unfriendly or apathetic nations will be dealt with either along the lines of ch. 34, 59 or Zech. 14:16-19. Also cp. 14:29-32. v13a-b The best trees available, indicative of the very best materials possible--the trees of Lebanon, will be used in building and restoring the Temple, cp. 35:2. The Temple here being restored is the one referred to in Ezek. 40-48 later desecrated in the second abomination of desolation as prophesied by Daniel. Here the Temple is restored and refurbished. A figurative interpretation would be derived from the frequent symbolic equation of people and trees by Isaiah, cf. 7:2, 10:19, etc. v13c-d The Lord stands in His sanctuary. This is one of the more specific statements of where the Lord plants His feet. Compare 66:1, 1 Chron. 28:2, Ezek. 43:7. v14-18 The fortune of Jerusalem is reversed. Historically she has been forsaken of the Lord as a result of her rebellion, now she will is called "City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel". She shall be rebuilt better than before and the corrupt leaders and officials who formerly inhabited her offices will be replaced by "Well-being" and "Prosperity". Man's corrupt governance is replaced by a strong Theocracy sustained by a believing people. v14 Israel's former captors fall before and confess that their Lord is God, cp. 49:7. v14e-g Jerusalem receives a new name just as the true worshipers of the Lord are promised in 56:5. Also cp. Ezek. 48:35, and see the JST on this verse. The new name is indicative of renascence. v15 strongly parallels 62:4, also cp. 54:6-7. v16b "breasts", the Hebrew is "sod" (pronounced "shod", soft o) meaning "plunder", but is translated "breasts", Hebrew "sad" (pronounced "shahd", soft a), by context. Isaiah is intentionally using a word play here reflecting the material gifts that flow to Jerusalem as well as the foreign nations who end up aligning themselves with Israel. The image of breast feeding or of being wet nursed follows that of 49:23 as well as the imagery of Jerusalem's espoused condition in the chiastic parallel in 62:4-5. See also 66:11 where a similar image is employed to portray consolation, comfort and peace. v16d "your Savior", cp. 43:3 and 11. v17-18 Compare 26:1-3, 54:11-12. v17a-d The replacement of the item with a more valuable item shows how much wealth pours into Jerusalem, but also indicates that the new Jerusalem will be systematically reconstructed from top to bottom to be better. A more figurative interpretation would be the replacement of the base, crude, imperfect morality that has founded Jerusalem with a vastly superior one. v17e-f Following on the more physical replacements of v. 17a-d comes a spiritual replacement as well. The leaders in Jerusalem are a frequent target of Isaiah (cp. ch. 5, 7, 28) for being apostate and corrupt. Here those leaders and governments are replaced. Peace and prosperity (both blatant covenant benedictions, cp. Lev. 26) are established in the restored Jerusalem, cp. 9:6-7. Consider the hostile position Isaiah takes against Judah's and Israel's kings during his ministry as well as the hostile position espoused by the BofM authors against monarchy in general. Some commentators state these lines show that the gates and walls are figurative and use Zech. 2:4 as support. I have difficulty with this interpretation given the statements in v. 10-11. I prefer instead to see this passage as indicating that the rebuilt gates and walls area source of "Victory" and "Renown". v19-22 The Lord personally reigns in this redeemed Jerusalem. No longer will the people there be corrupt and rebellious, they will be righteous. No longer will they rely on physical light, they will rely on the Light of the Lord. The result is the people's misery and mourning will be eliminated and the Lord's natural branch, the labor of His own hands, will prosper greatly. This section also present a complete contrast between the contemporary and eschatological condition of Israel and Jerusalem and the millennial condition. The section could arguably include v. 18 as well. v19-20 Echoed in Rev. 21:23-25. See also 24:23 where the same event is described but the sun and moon are said to "blush", cp. D&C 133:49. v19 Its not that the sun or moon will cease to give physical light or perform their functions (cf. Gen. 8:22), that is clearly not the issue here. The issue here is that the light, or the way and truth, of the Lord will be what guides Israel. They will no longer rely on physical light, or the ways of man, they will rely on spiritual light, the ways of the Lord (v. 1). The reference to them not relying on the sun and moon anymore could also be a veiled reference to the elimination of idolatrous astral and lunar worship, cp. 40:25-26. v20 Compare 30:26. v21a "all of them righteous", some commentators see this as saying the people at Jerusalem at that time will be zealous adherents to the laws and therefore immorality and immorality will be banished. Other commentators see this as saying that all of the people will be partakers of salvation (this follows the more evangelical christian views of "salvation"). Using the incidents of 3 and 4 Nephi dealing with the destruction of the wicked and the establishment of a Zion community we know that the former is the correct interpretation. With the disposal of the wicked the righteous can progress unfettered in the light of the Lord. v21c The shoot planted by the Lord, cp. 61:3, and Zenos' allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5. v22 Fecundity is a classical covenant benediction, cp. Gen. 15:5, Deut. 7:12-14. The promise of inheriting the offspring of the gentiles is combined with bountiful natural offspring. The AB states, "in this new Jerusalem the fullness of the promises of Yahweh to Abraham is achieved; this is the new and whole Israel." D&C 133:58 may be quoting this verse in part. The JST on this verse renders the KJV "I the Lord will hasten it in his time" to "I the Lord will hasten it in my time". v22c The Lord accomplishes His will in His own due time, cp. 46:10, 48:3.