Perceptible Righteousness

Yahweh won’t rest until Zion’s righteousness and salvation burst out like a flash of lightning. No one will miss it: “Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory” (Isaiah 62:2).

Visible glory make sense. “Glory” is by definition visible in the Bible – the fiery glory cloud of Yahweh, the glory-robes of the priests, the glory of the temple.

How how is “righteousness” visible? Perhaps “see” doesn’t mean exactly “see.” Perhaps it means something more like “perceive.” Still, the righteousness of Zion has to be something perceptible if the nations and kings are expected to perceive it.

Zion’s righteousness may be Zion’s righteous status, evident in the Lord’s restoration of His people. Perhaps we should press the parallel of righteousness and salvation (62:1) and say that when Zion is delivered from captivity, the Lord displays the fact that Zion is counted righteous. Perhaps we should press the parallel of righteousness and glory in 62:2. 

Perhaps “righteousness” doesn’t mean a status at all, but a way of life that manifests the righteousness of Yahweh and His Torah. Isaiah promises that Yahweh will enable His people to be a people of justice, and the nations will take note.

Protestant theologies of justification usually don’t take “righteousness” as something perceptible, largely because Protestant theology doesn’t take passages like this into consideration. We need to. The display of righteousness promised by Isaiah is the display that Paul says has been fulfilled in the gospel (Romans 1:16-17). 

Whatever Isaiah and Paul means by “righteousness,” it’s something visible, something that can be perceived by the world.