NOTES for Isa 60:1-6
The prophet Isaiah says that darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness all peoples, while the Lord will shine over Israel. Honestly, one feels like pitying the unfortunate peoples who will find themselves in darkness. But our perennial pity for the humiliated and insulted will not help us understand the biblical text. The point here is not that the unkind God of Israel has begrudged light to all the "outsider" nations. Nor is it an energy crisis, because there cannot fail to be enough of the Lord's light for everyone. The problem is one thing: people who can receive His light or refuse to receive it. It depends only on their will whether darkness will cover the earth, the darkness of not knowing and not accepting God. And even when all these peoples have already found themselves in darkness, the Lord leaves them a chance. All these nations can come to Jerusalem. Even though they did not let God into their life, He is ready to open the gates of His city to them.