Isaiah 60:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This aligns with the message that “they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

Furthermore, it must be noted that sorrow is particularly characteristic of those entrenched in sin, for they await not honors but judgment; they anticipate shame and darkness rather than the grace of God. Conversely, those who faithfully engage in good works rejoice in hope, as the wise Paul reminds us (Romans 12:12), for their virtuous lives lead to everlasting glory and joy. Even if someone weighed down with transgressions turns to the Lord and, through faith, receives forgiveness, they too should aspire towards the honors reserved for the saints. Their mourning will end, releasing them from fatigue and sorrow. This idea is echoed in the declaration: “All your people shall be righteous,” signifying that all future generations will be justified. These words speak as if to the Church; Christ, through His grace and humanity, justifies even the sinful and absolves those burdened by iniquity.

The giver of this grace is suggested through the imagery of tending the garden, the fruits of His labor to His glory; we are the planting of Christ, our Savior. As wild olive branches, we are grafted into the cultivated tree, facilitated by the work of Christ within us, for neither intercessor nor angel, but the Lord Himself has redeemed us (Isaiah 63:9). Thus, He asserts, “I am the one who speaks” (Isaiah 52:6). He states that there will be one counted among a thousand, and one esteemed within a great multitude. In this present age, the glory of the saints is often obscured, and from a worldly viewpoint, they may appear insignificant, devoid of brilliant distinction. However, when Christ returns in glory, even those deemed the least will be elevated among the nations, recognized for their honorable deeds throughout their lives (2 Timothy 4:7).

This notion aligns with Christ's promise to the apostles: “When the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). Additionally, in the parable of the talents, He declares, “Be in charge of ten cities” to one servant, while to another He says, “You take charge of five cities” (Luke 19:17, 19), each reward reflecting their faithfulness and acknowledging their deeds. Consequently, filling with joy, the saints proclaim, “Subdue peoples under us, and nations under our feet” (Psalm 46:4). Therefore, those once viewed as the least, who later become thousands and recognized in great honor, I, says the Lord of Hosts, will gather at the appointed time, clearly signaling the moment of His glorious return. Then, the saints will partake in the fullness of every good gift, as Paul wisely states; they will be caught up in the clouds on the Lord's Day, and so we shall ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17), embracing everlasting glory.

It is not surprising that, in order to fulfill the promise, He may delay the blessings of the land of the humble, for which the prophet laments, affirming, I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalms 26:13), as it is the branch of the Lord’s planting and the work of His hands for divine glorification. For any garden that my Father in heaven has not planted shall be uprooted (Matt. 15:13). Alternatively, according to the Seventy, those who uphold the planting of God and the works of the Lord’s hands will be kept for the Creator’s glory. Concerning His good planting, God declares through Jeremiah, I will plant you as a fruitful vine of all truth (Jeremiah 2:21), which Isaiah refers to as the vine of Sorek (Isaiah 2). Paul, aware of the virtues of Christ working through him, urged, Be followers of me, even as I am of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1); he wrote to the Corinthians, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). For she who is planted in the house of the Lord will thrive in His courts (Ps. 91:14). The one who is small will be transformed into a multitude, receiving the message from the Lord, Be thou a region governing over five cities, or over ten cities (Luke 19:17, Luke 19:19), earning the title χιλίαρχος, the ruler of thousands. He who humbly claims, To me, who am less than the least of all saints, this grace is given (Eph. 3:8), will become the leader of a great generation in heaven when, at the appointed time, the Lord sends His angels to gather all His saints from the farthest ends of heaven (Matt. 21)—not only from Israel but also from the Gentile nations. To this Jesus the Savior alluded when He said: I have other sheep that are not of this fold; they will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16). This will occur suddenly, so that when there appears to be no hope, a powerful nation will arise from them. While we may witness daily fulfillments of this promise, its complete realization awaits the end of the age, at the second coming of the Savior.