”“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. “Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands. Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the Lord. The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. I will accept their offerings, and I will make my Temple glorious. “And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests? They are ships from the ends of the earth, from lands that trust in me, led by the great ships of Tarshish. They are bringing the people of Israel home from far away, carrying their silver and gold. They will honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has filled you with splendor. “Foreigners will come to rebuild your towns, and their kings will serve you. For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will now have mercy on you through my grace. Your gates will stay open day and night to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession. For the nations that refuse to serve you will be destroyed. “The glory of Lebanon will be yours— the forests of cypress, fir, and pine— to beautify my sanctuary. My Temple will be glorious! The descendants of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the Lord, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel. “Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations. Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there. “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory. The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”“
Isaiah 60:1-22 NLT
The concept of the Millenial Reign is a curious thing. Juxtaposed between a time of great suffering and a new heaven and earth, it seems a bit of an odd choice. Why does God wish there to be a time when an earthly kingdom finally reigns supreme? Why not just start over, as he will eventually do anyway? I think the obvious answer is the easiest one. It is about supremacy. The story of man can not be completed until the story of men is completed. This will only happen when man returns to fealty under God. This is not a personal fealty, but a theocracy where the other nations are shamed for attempting usurp God. After all, the spiritual background for Eden was a war for dominance. It was a spiritual council who claimed they were the best Elohim. It is after this divine council nearly destroys the world that God makes a new nation with Abraham. The purpose of this new nation is personal salvation for mankind, but it is also a lesson for the divine council at what a true ruler is. This is why God calls idolatry, adultery. The terms are conflated because God views them as connected terms. The idolatry of Israel is leaving him for a different love. One whom is in a constant competition with him. In this way, idolatry is not just worship of another, it is a personal affront. This means that the millennial reign is personal in nature. The millennial reign puts an end to the question of supremacy. There will be absolute certainty as to who the best is, both personally and corporately, spiritually and physically.
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