Let us turn to God's word in
the chapter that we read Isaiah chapter 60 and directing you
for our text to the words that we find in verse 11 Isaiah chapter
60 verse 11 Therefore thy gate shall be open continually they
shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee
the forces, or as St Martin says, the wealth of the Gentiles, and
that their kings may be brought. Isaiah chapter 60 and verse 11. It's a chapter that is very rich
in the figurative language that is being used throughout. These things are spoken of course
concerning Zion, as we see in verse 14, the city of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Remember Isaiah is prophesying
about a hundred years before God is going to visit terrible
judgment upon Judah, upon Jerusalem, upon the city of Zion. the armies
of Nebuchadnezzar will come and the Babylonians will destroy
the city and raise the temple of the Lord to the ground and
remove the people into exile. That is something of the historical
context of which he is speaking, but not only speaking of that
terrible judgement that was to come without God in his appointed
time after 70 years in exile would grant a restoration. There
would be a remnant preserved in Babylon who would be brought
again and Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord was to be rebuilt. The promise here in verse 10
The sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings
shall minister unto them. For in my wrath I smote them,
but in my favour have I had mercy on them." The Babylonian Empire
wouldn't last forever. It would be overthrown by that
of the Medes and Persians and there would be another great
emperor, Cyrus. And he is spoken of of course
by name. here in chapter 45, there's that
one that God has anointed to subdue nations and he would issue
a decree and we can read of these things back in the opening verses
of the book of Ezra, the decree that Cyrus made and as a result
Ezra and others go and there's the rebuilding of the Temple
of the Lord, but not only that, subsequently in the days of Nehemiah
there is also the rebuilding of the city, the walls of Jerusalem
were still in ruin as we see there in the opening chapter
of Nehemiah, but then he receives permission of this man to return
and to engage in the rebuilding of the walls and the gates of
of Jerusalem. There is to be the fulfilment
then of this prophecy that we have here in verse 10. Now, sons of strangers shall
build up my walls. Not that Nehemiah was a stranger,
he was truly a Jew, but he does it of course under the authority
of the King Ahasuerus. God is faithful yet to his people. there was to be that restoration. This is something of the context
in which we see Isaiah exercising his ministry. But we know that
these chapters have a far deeper meaning. To understand these
words surely in a spiritual sense. There is more than simply the
restoration of the Jews spoken of here. We also have mention
of Gentiles and the calling of the Gentiles in verse 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy
light and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Again in verse
5. They shall see and flow together,
thine heart shall fear and be enlarged, because the abundance
of the sea shall be converted unto thee. The forces or the
wealth of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. And we have it
of course in the words that we announce in our text here in
verse 11. That men may bring unto thee
the forces, the wealth or the riches of the Gentiles. and their
kings may be brought. We are to look beyond those events
that took place when Cyrus at first issued his decree in the
days of Ezra or when Ahasuerus gives permission for Nehemiah
and others to come and begin the task of rebuilding the temple
and the citadel. There is promise here of something
far greater. It has reference to that spiritual
zone. that church of God that Christ
himself came to redeem. And so as we turn to the words
of the text here in verse 11, it is that spiritual understanding
of the verse that I want us to take up for a while this morning,
and particularly what we read in the first part of the text. Therefore thy gates shall be
open continuously, They shall not be shut day nor night. The significance of the gates,
the gates of Zion, are not these gates to be understood in terms
of the gospel, they are gospel gates. And I want us to ask a
number of questions with regards to the gates. Why are the gates
open? What does it mean? What is the
significance of the gates? being open. To whom do these
gates lead us and direct us? These are the sort of questions
we need to ask surely with regards to what is stated here in the
text. First of all then, why are the
gates open, the gates of Zion? Well they are open for sinners,
that sinners may enter into the city of God. That's what we are
told here in the text, is it not? That men may bring unto
thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. There is a reason for the gates
being opened, that there might be an entrance that there might
be those who are able to enter in and as I have already suggested
the language here is so rich is figurative language that is
being employed we read of those who will come to Zion in verses
4 and 5 we have mention of sons and daughters we have mention
of the abundance of the three lift up thine eyes round about
and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee thy
son shall come from far and thy daughters shall be nursed at
thy side then they shall see and flow together and thine heart
shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the three shall
be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto
thee how the language here that is employed by the prophet to
encourage that little remnant that has been taken into exile
and that little remnant languishing there in Babylon, how these words
are meant to be an encouragement to that God will get prosper
his work here upon the earth. And so it continues in the following
verses, verses 6 and 7, we read of a multitude of camels being
brought, and flocks of sheep coming. The multitude of camels
shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah. All they
from Sheba shall come, they shall bring gold and incense, and they
shall show forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of
Caedar shall be gathered together unto thee. The rams of Nebaoth
shall minister unto thee. They shall come up with acceptance
on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. All great multitudes. This is
the idea that is conveyed to us in the various figures that
are being used here. There will be multitudes being
brought into God's Zion, through the gates of Zion. The Lord Jesus
Christ himself tells us in the Gospel, does he not? All that
the Father giveth me, all that the Father giveth me, shall come
to me, and he that cometh to me, I shall in no ways cast out. All the gracious words of Christ,
all that comes, None shall be refused, none shall be turned
away. They are the redeemed of the
Lord. We have it here, do we not, in
Revelation chapter 5, how they speak of Him who has redeemed
them, who has saved them. Redeemed us to God by thy blood
it is, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
And that's what we have here, you see, the forces, the great
wealth of the Gentiles being brought. Now look at the particular
figure that we have here in verse 8, where we can learn something
of those who would desire to enter in at these gates of Zion.
Who are these that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows? These flying as the doves, this
figure of the doves. What does it tell us concerning
the character of those who will come to enter through the gates
of Zion? Well, we can think of that godly
king, King Hesychiah, who we have spoken of previously. We
have some account of his history, do we not, in those previous
chapters. We have the record in chapter
38 of the prayer of this man who had been sick,
who had been told by the Prophet that he was going to die. He
turned his face to the wall and pleaded with God and 15 years
added to his life he saw remarkable things did King Hezekiah. He
was the most gracious king in Israel. And we have as I said
that record of the prayer of Thanksgiving that he makes to
God, when God is pleased to spare his life. The writing of King,
of Hezekiah, King of Judah, when he had been sick and was recovered
of his sickness, we read in verse 9 of chapter 38. You see what
he says there in verse 14. Like a crane or a swallow, so
did I chatter, I did mourn as a dove. Mine eyes failed with
looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake
for me. Those who fly as the doves, isn't
Ezekiel one of these characters? I did mourn, he said. I did mourn
as a dove, his eyes failing. Asking God to undertake for him
as he feels himself to be so oppressed. All friends, I am
not some of those characters. that would come and enter into
Zion and seek to find their rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
day the psalmist says, Oh that I had wings like a dove, for
I would fly away and be at rest. Oh are we those who know what
it is to mourn, to feel the oppression of what our sins are, to desire
to fly away like that dove and to find our rest in Zion. to
find our rest in the Lord Jesus Christ who is that one who has
come to save his people. Isn't that a lovely figure that
we see in Genesis chapter 8 concerning the ark. Remember how as the
waters begin to abate after that terrible judgement that God had
visited upon the earth. We see how no one opens the windows
of the ark. And we are told how he sent forth
the dove to see if the waters would abate her from off the
face of the ground. But verse 9 there in Genesis
chapter 8, But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot,
and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were
on the face of the whole earth, then he put forth his hand and
took her and pulled her in, into him, into the ark. Isn't that
a lovely gospel picture that we have here? Of the dove finding
no rest for the sole of her foot, returning to the ark, and now
Noah puts forth his hand and pulls her in, and she's tight
in the ark, And this is where you see the sinner finds his
safety in that ark of the Lord Jesus Christ. Safety nowhere
else, safety only in him. These are those you see who would
enter into Zion. These that fly as a cloud and
as the doves to their windows. these various birds and animals
are taken up in scripture are they not to describe something
of the character of those who are the Lord's people those who
would enter those who are sinners we read in Proverbs chapter 30
of the Iconius they are but a feeble folk it says yet they make their
houses in the rocks are we those friends who feel ourselves to
be so feeble We need to find safety in the rocks. And safety
in him who is that great rock, that rock of ages, even the Lord
Jesus Christ. Of course, the image that is
normally associated with the people of God is that of sheep. Those fearful creatures, those
sheep, when you seek to approach them, how quickly they trot away.
And they seem to be so afraid. But what does Christ say concerning
his sheep, my sheep, hear my voice, and I know them, he says,
and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life. All the doors of Zion, the gates
of Zion are open continually, you see, that these characters
may enter in, that these feeble, frail creatures, these fearful
creatures, these mourning gods, these who feel themselves to
be so oppressed because of their sin, that they might find safety
and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at the opening
word of the text, verse 11, therefore it says, therefore thy gates
shall be open continually. Now what is the significance
of that particular word? Well, does it not indicate that
something is being deduced from what has been said previously?
There's a connection here, a very real connection with what we
have at the end of the previous verse. And there at the end of
verse 10, God says, In my favour have I had mercy on thee, therefore
thy gates shall be open continually. They shall not be shut day nor
night. Why are the gates of Zion open? Because of God's mercy. Because
God is merciful to sinners. that sinners might come and enter
in, that sinners might come and partake of that great salvation. The door of thy mercy stands
open all night, that the poor and the needy may knock by the
word. All God's mercy is open yet.
It is interesting that when God proclaims His name to Moses back
in Exodus chapter 34, How does he begin that proclamation? The
Lord God merciful. That's the first thing that we
are told when God comes to proclaim His own name, Exodus 34 and verse
5. The Lord God merciful. He is
a merciful God and because of His mercy you see the gates of
Zion are open continuously. Why are the gates open? They
are open for sinners. That the sinner may enter in
and discover that God is a merciful God and a gracious God. A God
ready to pardon sins and to forgive iniquities. A God ever willing
to receive the sinner unto himself. But then in the second place,
what does it mean that the gates are open. Open gates. It suggests something. And I
want to mention two things that it suggests to us. First of all,
does it not indicate that this is a safe city? It's a safe city
because the gates are open. Now, of course in biblical times
cities were walls and the entrance could be guarded only by the
various gates and when there was some threat outside they
would shut the city off they would close all the gates and
we are told that are we not at the beginning of Joshua chapter
6 concerning Jericho when Joshua had led the children of Israel
through to Jordan into the land of promise we are told they come
to Jericho and Jericho was straightly shut off because of the children
of Israel. None went out, none came in.
Now obviously here the idea is that as the gates are closed
and shut so the city is secure, the city is safe. But here is
a strange paradox with regards to Zion. It is because the gates
are open that we see the safety of this particular city. In Revelation chapter 21 we are
told the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there
shall be no night there. Normally they would shut the
city gates as the dusk comes in order that the city might
be safe through the darkness of the night, but not so with
Zion. The gates are never shut because there shall be no night
there. And of course the imagery that
is being used there by John in the end of the book of the Revelation
is the same as we have here in this chapter. In verse 18, violence shall no
more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders,
but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise. The sun shall be no more thy
light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto
thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light. And
thy God, thy glory, thy sun shall no more go down, Neither shall
thy moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be thy everlasting
light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. The gates can
be opened. Why? Because God is there. God himself is in the midst.
Yea, God is all around His people. And this is the safety of His
people. The psalmist says, God is in the midst of us. She shall
not be moved, God shall help her and that right her. It's
because of the presence of God the gates can be opened because
there's never night, there is always God there in the midst,
God securing the safety of his city. God himself the saviour
of his people again. We see it in the words of the
Psalms, Psalm 125. They that trust in the Lord shall
be as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth forever,
as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round
about his people from henceforth even forevermore. How God delights, you see, in
Zion. He makes it His special dwelling
place. This was the glory of Zion. It
was truly the city of God. That's how it's described here
at the end of verse 14. They shall call thee the city
of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. God delights in His church. Zion is but representative, is
it not, of the church, the spiritual Zion. That's what we see in Hebrews
chapter 12. But God has a peculiar delight
in the gates. He loves the gates of Zion. We sang that lovely paraphrase
of Psalm 87 as our opening praise on Luton's hill. glorious things
of thee are spoken. And of course it's rooted in
the psalm, Psalm 87. And what does it say there in
the psalm? The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the
dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of
the city of God. But the Lord loves the gates.
Why is it that God loves the gates? of Zion. Because God loves
sinners to enter in, He loves to save sinners. He delights
to save sinners. He is the God who justifies the
sinner. He doesn't condemn the sinner.
or that sinner who is trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why?
Christ has received the condemnation in His realm and in His head.
And so God justifies that sinner who comes trusting in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Therefore thy gates shall be
open continually. They shall not be shut day nor
night that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles
and that their kings may be brought. Turn back to what's said earlier
in the book in chapter 26 and there at the end of that rather
the beginning of that particular chapter Chapter 26, in that day shall
this song be sung in the land of Judah, we have a strong city.
Salvation will God appoint for walls and borders. Open ye the
gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter
in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace. whose mind is stayed on thee,
because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever,
for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Ought to be part of
that righteous nature, which keepeth the truth. Not righteous
of course in ourselves, with all is an unclean thing, Isaiah
says. All our righteousness is out
of filthy rank. that righteousness is that which
God gives to his people when he justifies them only in the
Lord Jesus Christ the city then here we say as the gates open
because it is a safe city and a secure city and it is so because
of God who is a bankless city God who is dwelling in the midst
of the city but then also The second reason why the gates are
open is because it is a spacious citadel. This is a spacious citadel. And that's the reason that we
see, is it not, at the end of the text. It's in order, the
gates are open in order that men may bring on to thee the
forces of the Gentiles, the great wealth, the riches, the great
excess of the Gentiles. Even their kings shall be brought,
all nations shall be brought. In another of the prophets in
Zechariah we read Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without
walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein. Jerusalem is like a city without walls. Why without wars? Because it's
so spacious, so vast a city. This is the whole theme, is it
not, of this particular chapter, the calling of the Gentiles,
the great Incarns, the blessings that come with the Gospel. How
Isaiah often speaks of this. In chapter 53, of course, we
have that remarkable chapter, a prophecy concerning the Lord's
suffering servants, what a description it is of Christ and that great
work that he accomplished upon the cross when he made that one
sacrifice for sins forever. There he was punished as the substitute for
his people, dying in their womb and in their stead. This is the
whole theme of Isaiah 53. Immediately after that we come
into chapter 54 and we read such words as these. Enlarge the place
of thy tent, let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations. Spare not, lengthen thy cords,
and strengthen thy stakes, for thou shalt break forth on the
right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles,
and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Oh, Christ,
you see, does not suffer in vain. Christ is to see of the travail
of his sufferings, and he'll be satisfied. This city is a
spacious city. Many are to be saved, multitudes. This is the theme, is it not,
that runs throughout this particular chapter. Why are the gates open?
Because God is in the midst. God is her safety, God is her
security. And God loves the gates. He loves
to see the sinners coming here. And He's a spacious sitter. He's
an overflowing sitter. And then, in the third place,
we ask who is the one that these gates ultimately lead to? Who do these gates direct us
to? Are we not here to discern the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?
Christ declares, I am the door. I am the door. I emerge. If any
man enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find
pasture. Oh Christ is the one that we
are directed to. Is it not Christ, friends, in
all the Scriptures? Is this how we come to the Word
of God? We search. What do we want to find? We want
to find Christ. All we want is to see the Lord Jesus Christ.
And here He is. Therefore thy gates shall be
open continually. They shall not be shut day nor
night. Our Christ is there receiving
the sinner, welcoming the sinner. I know the Lord Himself said
straight is the gate, narrow is the way that lead us unto
light. And few there be that find it.
Very solemn work. And you might say to me this
morning, well how do you reconcile that with the idea of a spacious
centre? If the gate is a straight gate,
and the way leading to life is but a narrow way, and there's
few finding it, how is all that to be square with this idea of
spaciousness? Well, the explanation really is quite
simple. There is in the Lord Jesus Christ
room for all sorts of sinners. There is room, you know, for
a multitude of sinners. But, this is the important thing,
we have to remember always, there is only one way of salvation. That's the important thing. Straight
is the gate. Narrow is the way. Or there's a broad gate and a
broad way. There are multitudes of religious
people who might go in that way. But the true way of salvation
is found only in Christ. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there is none other name
under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved, says
Peter. There is salvation in none other. We are to come to the Lord Jesus
Christ. We are to come to Zion. It's the Gospel. I made some
reference to it, although we didn't turn to the passage, but
those words of the Apostle in Hebrews chapter 12. He says,
I come unto man's Zion and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven,
and to God the judge of all, and to the spirit of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than
that of Abel." Or we come to Zionism. But the contrast here
in Hebrews 12 is between Zion and Sinai. Previously he speaks
of that mount that might be touched, that burned with fire, blackness,
darkness, tempest, the sound of a trumpet, the voice of words,
which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken
to them any more remember they wanted Moses to be the mediator
between them and God so terrible was the sight it says so terrible
that even Moses said I exceedingly fear and quite all the terrors
of God when we see him in all the holiness and righteousness
and justice of that law there is no salvation there for the
sinner There's no works that we can do. It's a covenant of
works, is it not? And there's no works that we
can do, but we've not come to that. We have come to man, science,
the city of the living God, the mediator of the new covenant,
the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And we're in that now, we're
in the day of grace. He has said, I have heard thee
in a time accepted, in a day of salvation, that thy succor
be behold. Now is the day of salvation. It is accepted time. The gates
are open, yes, therefore thy gates shall be open continually. They shall not be shut, day nor
night. that men may bring unto thee
the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. But will it always be that day
of grace, that acceptable time? Always hear not, a time to every
purpose under heaven. Remember how Christ in Matthew
25 spoke that parable of the ten virgins, and five were wise,
and five were foolish we have that word subsequently there
when the bridegroom comes he says and the door was shut the
door was shut and the foolish virgins were shut out oh friends
we need to examine ourselves in to prove ourselves to know
ourselves in the light of these things. Are we those who desire
to enter in by these gates? These gates that are open, these
gates that introduce us to the great salvation of God that brings
us to him who declares himself to be the door. And if any enter
in by Christ they find salvation he says. They find salvation. They go in and out. Yes, their
lives are strange lives once they know Him. They are in and
out, up and down. It's a life, a strange life of
conflicts. There's a spiritual life now
in their soul. And they feel something of that
warfare with the old life, the old nature. The new man of grace,
the old man of sin. And yet all the time they find
the fullness of their salvation resting in the person and the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh God grant that we might be
those who are favoured to enter there. In my favour, he says,
have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be
open continually. They shall not be shut. nor night. The Lord grants His blessing
on His Word.