Isaiah 60:17
Read Isaiah 60:17 Using Other Translations
What does Isaiah 60:17 mean?
For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring
silver,
and for wood brass, and for stones iron
By "wood and stones" may be meant the Old Testament dispensation;
by the "brass and iron" the present Gospel dispensation; and by
"silver and gold" the latter day glory; by "silver" the spiritual
reign of Christ in his church; and by "gold" his personal reign
in the New Jerusalem; which is said to be all of pure gold, and
even the very street of it, ( Revelation
21:18 Revelation
21:21 ) , now, as far as brass and iron exceed wood and
stones, so far the Gospel dispensation exceeds the legal one; the
one being the shadow, the other the substance; the one having
carnal ordinances, which are done away; the other spiritual ones,
which remain; and as far as silver and gold exceed brass and
iron, so far the glory of the latter day will exceed the present
state of things, in clear light, in spiritual grace and strength,
in purity of doctrine and worship, in holiness of life, and in
love, peace, and unity; and as far as gold exceeds silver, so
far, and much more, will the personal reign of Christ, which will
be perfectly glorious, exceed the spiritual one. There may be an
allusion to the times of Solomon, a type of Christ, ( 1 Kings
10:27 ) . This, by some Jewish writers F6, is
applied to the times of the Messiah they yet expect. The Targum
is,
``for the brass which they spoiled thee of, O Jerusalem, I will bring gold''I will also make thine officers peace;
civil magistrates shall be men of peaceable dispositions, who shall promote peace and unity in kingdoms, states, cities, towns, and neighbourhoods; they shall be properly justices of peace; they will answer to their office, and the title of it. Church officers or ministers of the word shall publish the Gospel of peace in the clearest manner; and the peace of God shall rule in the hearts of all the saints; there will be abundance of temporal and of spiritual peace, promoted by each of the officers of church and state; see ( Psalms 72:7 ) ( Isaiah 52:7 ) ( 54:13 ) : and thine exactors righteousness;
even tax gatherers, who used to be the worst of people for injustice and oppression, these shall do nothing but what is right and just; nor will there be any reason to complain of them. The Septuagint render it "bishops" or "overseers" {g}, pastors of churches, who shall be truly ministers of righteousness; preach up the doctrine of justification by Christ's righteousness; and instruct persons to live soberly, righteously, and godly.
F6 Caphtor Uperah, fol. 57. 2.
F7 (episkopouv) .
