‘Who are these who fly as the clouds,
And as the doves to their windows (openings in the dovecotes).
Surely the isles (coastlands) will wait for me,
And the ships of Tarshish first,
To bring your sons from far,
Their silver and their gold with them,
For the name of Yahweh your God,
And for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.'
Eyes now turn to the west, to the nations across the seas. The picture of ‘flying as the clouds', and like white doves to their dovecotes, probably depicts the white billowing sails of the ships coming from far. Although the thought may be of the speed and freedom of movement of the clouds and the doves. The peoples of those nations, and the great ships of Tarshish (the largest ships of the day, the great ore carriers of the Phoenicians) will wait on Yahweh ready to bring back His people to Him, loaded with wealth. And it will all be for the honour of Yahweh and the glorifying of His name, and for the sake of the Holy One of Israel Who has glorified His true people.
Thus both east and west will in the future seek God, the only God, through the ministry of His people because the glory of Yahweh has risen on them (Isaiah 60:1-2). And the result will be that large numbers are added to the people of God from nations worldwide.
The continual emphasis on wealth has a twofold purpose. Firstly it reveals the true dedication of those who bring it. It is not brought to Israel, but to Yahweh. If we come to Christ without bringing Him all our wealth our coming is in vain, as the rich young ruler sadly discovered (Mark 10:17-23). But the wealth is not a means of obtaining salvation. It is the gift of grateful hearts because of His grace freely bestowed (compare the woman who gave because she loved much (Luke 7:47)). And secondly it was a picture of richness of blessing for His people. It is a way of depicting fullness of blessing. (Once, however, the sinful human heart got to work on it men began to dream of great wealth for themselves. Rather than thinking of the glory of God they thought only in terms of personal aggrandisement, something which could only be detrimental to them).