When the nations come “to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3), they will want to know how they too may become transfigured sons of God. Having missed out on the first season of such glorification, they will want to know if it is too late for them to experience the same glory.

The bad news is that they missed the greatest blessing that is reserved for the overcomers. The good news is that there will be two more occasions in the future. The second occasion will be after another thousand years has passed, when there will be a general resurrection from the dead. On that occasion, believers and unbelievers will each receive the reward that is appropriate for them (John 5:28, 29).

The third occasion will not be a resurrection but a Jubilee at the end of time, when all will experience the full glory of God.

Sons of God Coming from Afar

Isaiah 60:4, 5 says,

⁴ “Lift up your eyes round about and see; they [the nations] all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms. ⁵ Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.”

Many have carnalized this to mean that Jews will return to the old land to Hagar-Jerusalem, in order to restore a physical temple with Levitical priests offering animal sacrifices. But as we have shown previously, the return is a return to God through repentance. The best metaphor, perhaps, is seen in the parable of the prodigal son, who returned to His Father’s house from afar. It was not meant to be interpreted as a literal, physical return from one location to another, but a change of heart, a repentance, and a restoration to the family.

In this case, these sons and daughters will “be radiant” (nahar). This Hebrew word literally means “to sparkle, shine, give light.” The word pictures a river sparkling with light as it flows downstream. Hence, it also means “to flow together.” It also refers to those who are rejoicing and cheerful, sparkling with personality. All of these ideas are present in Isaiah’s prophecy of the sons and daughters of God cheerfully flowing in unity as a river toward their heavenly Father.

Hence also, the prophet describes this river, saying, “your heart will thrill and rejoice.”

The Abundance of the Birthright

But what does this have to do with “the abundance of the sea” and “the wealth of the nations” coming to them? Are they happy because the nations have given them wealth? What is wealth to a manifested son of God? Did Jesus need wealth to do His ministry?

When Jesus needed some money to pay the strangers’ tax, He simply told Peter to get it from a fish (Matt. 17:27). When the resources of the sea are at your disposal, what need is there for a bank account? When the sons of God are manifested, nature itself provides whatever is needed at the moment.

This is the promise given to Joseph and, by extension, to all of the sons of God. Gen. 49:22 gives Joseph the blessing of sonship, saying,

²² Joseph is a fruitful son [ben], a fruitful son by a spring [ayin, “eye, fountain”]; his daughters [bat] run over a wall.

This promise of becoming the sons and daughters of God is what defines the birthright, because we read later in 1 Chron. 5:2,

² Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Hence, we see that the birthright is “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12), or to be the manifested sons of God. From Judah came the Messiah in His first appearance, “the leader,” but from Joseph comes sonship in His second appearance.

Moses gives us further details about the birthright, telling us in Deut. 33:13-16,

¹³ Of Joseph he said, “Blessed of the Lord be his land, with the choice things of heaven, with the dew, and from the deep lying beneath, ¹⁴ and with the choice yield of the sun, and with the choice produce of the months, ¹⁵ and with the best things of the ancient mountains, and with the choice things of the everlasting hills, ¹⁶ and with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.”

We see that Joseph was given dominion over natural resources. A few years ago, I did a study on the Departments of Government for the Kingdom of God, based on the names of the sons of Jacob. I stated then that Joseph represented the Department of Natural Resources.

In the context of Christ’s second coming as Joseph, with His robe dipped in blood (Gen. 37:31; Rev. 19:13), He comes to lay claim to land and to its natural resources. This is foreshadowed when the fish gave Peter a shekel to pay the tax, but I believe we will see a much greater manifestation of this principle at Christ’s second coming. Perhaps the fact that Jesus told Peter to get the coin from the fish suggests that the sons of God themselves will also have authority to draw from the natural resources of the Kingdom.

Whatever the case, Isaiah prophesies “the abundance of the sea” being given to the sons and daughters who have been glorified by the brightness of transfiguration. It is the fulfillment of the blessings given to Joseph. The transfigured sons and daughters of God, whose lost birthright has been restored fully, will sparkle and rejoice as a river in the bright sunlight.

The real wealth, of course, is not monetary. God, who is the Source of all wealth, needs no money to do His work. The real wealth is the birthright itself, which is the right to become children of God. Under that status, physical wealth is obtained for the use of others who, being yet carnal, are yet in need of such things.

It is perhaps ironic that the sons and daughters of God would receive the abundance of wealth at a time when they have no personal need for it. Even so, there will still be a need for natural resources and wealth, because the vast majority of humanity will not yet be manifested sons of God.

The main point to understand is that the sons of God will manage those resources properly according to the laws of God. They will use this wealth to build the Kingdom, rather than to enrich the coffers of the wicked.