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Isaiah 60:20 meaning

God’s eternal light dispels every shadow, delivering a promise of lasting hope.

In “Your sun will no longer set, nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be over” (Isaiah 60:20), the prophet Isaiah proclaims a future era of unending brightness and joy for God’s people. Isaiah ministered primarily in the southern kingdom of Judah from around 740 to 681 BC, during a period of great political upheaval. Yet God gave him this hopeful promise, revealing that His radiant presence would eclipse all darkness. In the broader context of Isaiah 60, this follows on the heels of verses describing God’s light conquering the deep darkness (Isaiah 60:2)and leads into a vision that no sorrow or shadow will remain for those who trust in Him.

The LORD’s role as “everlasting light” underscores His eternal nature and absolute sovereignty. While earthly grief and suffering are often portrayed as nightfall throughout Scripture, Isaiah assures us that such sorrow will be overcome by the Lord’s unchanging brilliance. This future fulfillment is foreshadowed in Revelation 21:23, where the New Jerusalem, bathed in divine light, needs no sun or moon. In Isaiah’s time, this would have signified the end of exile and restoration of God’s people to their rightful place—a promise of security and joy that still resonates today, pointing to the ultimate hope of God’s redeemed creation.

“Your sun will no longer set” also symbolizes a complete reversal of the judgments Isaiah spoke of earlier. Rather than mourning under the weight of sin, the covenant community is pictured in unbroken fellowship, no longer bound by regret or fear. The days of grief that once clouded their horizon will cease to exist because the presence of the LORD will illuminate and comfort them forever.

Isaiah 60:20