ISAIAH 35

ISRAEL’S HAPPY FUTURE

We are about to see what this world is going to be like after Satan is bound and Jesus becomes the reigning king over all the world. Even creation itself will share in the blessings that come with Christ’s reign.

Isaiah 35:1-10 NAS:
1 The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah[fn] will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus (rose).[fn]
2 It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, The majesty of our God.
3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
4 Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”   
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.
7 The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes.
8 A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.
9 No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

What a description! Kind of makes you want to be there right now, doesn’t it? There will be dramatic changes made to the landscape of the earth when Christ returns to set up His kingdom. Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon were areas near the coast noted for their good soil. The whole world is going to be like that during Christ’s reign, even the desert will blossom, and people will recognize this as a gift from God.

Isaiah uses the promise of the coming kingdom to strengthen those in his day who were weak and afraid. In the kingdom, there will be no more blind or deaf, lame or dumb; for all will be made whole to enjoy a glorious new world. Jesus referred to these verses when he sent a word of encouragement to John the Baptist (Luke 7:18–23). The King was on earth and sharing with needy people the blessings of the coming kingdom.

When Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation, all who have been redeemed throughout history will return with Him and rule with Him from Jerusalem. Nothing will ever be able to harm them or cause them unhappiness again. The highway could also represent a way of life during Christ’s reign on earth.

Isaiah 35:8 expresses one of Isaiah’s favorite themes: the highway (Isaiah 11:16; 19:23; 40:3; 62:10). During the Assyrian invasion, the highways were not safe (Isaiah 33:8), but during the Kingdom Age it will be safe to travel. There will be one special  highway: “The Highway of Holiness.” In ancient cities, there were often special roads that only kings and priests could use; but when Messiah reigns, all of His people will be invited to use this highway. Isaiah pictures God’s redeemed, ransomed, and rejoicing Jewish families going up to the yearly feasts in Jerusalem, to praise their Lord.

When Isaiah spoke and wrote these words, it is likely that the Assyrians had ravaged the land, destroyed the crops, and made the highways unsafe for travel. The people were cooped up in Jerusalem, wondering what would happen next. The remnant were trusting God’s promises and praying for God’s help, and God answered their prayers. If God kept His promises to His people centuries ago and delivered them, will He not keep His promises in the future and establish His glorious kingdom for His chosen people? You bet He will!

The future is glorious when Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord.[fn] We, in this day and age, can also be uplifted if we stop and remember verse 17. It is directed to God’s people so that when we are feeling sorrow and sighing we can take heart to know that gladness and everlasting joy await God’s people one day.