Isaiah 35:1-10

Isa 35:1

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

 

Many attempt to make this chapter as speaking of modern Israel and it has nothing to do with that counterfeit Israel.  Christians need to stop taking the blessings of God which belong to the true body of believers and attaching them to the followers of the cult of Judaism which hate both God and Christ.

 

This chapter deals with the coming of the true gospel which will begin in Jerusalem and then will be sent all over the world.  The wilderness and the solitary place are symbolic for the Gentile world as they had no gospel but were steeped in false gospels and false religions but now the truth of the gospel has come to the Gentile world and the body of believers will become much larger once the gospel goes forth.  The Gentile world was a spiritual desert having no gospel or plan of salvation except worshipping false gods which was their damnation.  Once the gospel starts going forth that spiritual desert will blossom as the rose which is probably the asphodel which was a lily with long sprays of blossoms.  I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. (Song of Solomon 2:1)  The lily of the valleys and rose of Sharon are both symbols for the Lord Jesus himself.

 

Isa 35:2

It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

 

The coming of the true gospel will result in abundant blossoming, that is, the abundancy of the true church as it continues to grow all over the world and that will result in the joy of the true believer expressed by singing as many great hymns have been written over the years, many borne out of tragedies. The glory of Lebanon was their cedars which were used extensively in the homes of many wealthy Israelites.  The cedars are being compared to the true believers who will stand strong among the world as the enemies come against them like the elements coming against the cedar trees.  Carmel and Sharon were two places in Israel known for their fruitfulness and their pastures for grazing.  As Christians grow in the faith and become more fruitful in their lives, they will be both grazing the word of God and bearing fruit.  Once a person becomes saved, they will see the glory of the LORD and the excellency of our God as he continues to water the true believers and grows the body of Christ through adding to them daily.  Unbelievers see mother nature but the true believer sees the handiwork and glory of God as he continues to work through his creation.

 

Isa 35:3

Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

 

No longer will the true believer have weak hands or feeble knees as they find their strength in the LORD.   The gospel repairs the breaches of weakness in a person’s life to the point they are willing to give their lives for the LORD as many martyrs throughout history have proven.  Feeble knees and weak hands are a sign of weakness but the gospel strengthens them.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)  In the New Testament the believers are also told the same thing.  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; (Hebrews 12:12)  They are to find their strength in the LORD and not rely on the strength of flesh which always lets us down.

 

Isa 35:4

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

 

Then after Assyria had been conquered by the LORD and the people were free from their threats, there were still some that held on to their fear and the LORD is now telling them that they are not to fear because God will come to them and fight for them with a vengeance.  This also applies to the Christian because many times they concern themselves with what Satan might do to them and we are to find our strength in the LORD knowing that he was defeated at Calvary.  The Lord will come and save us.  The first time the Lord came was to die for the sins of his people but the second time he comes, it will be the completion of the salvation of the believer.  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)  The second time the Lord Jesus comes will be the removal and destruction of all the enemies of God, that is, all the unbelievers.

 

Isa 35:5

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

 

The blind are those who are believers in false gospels and are blinded to the fact they are condemning themselves to hell.  The deaf are those who do not hear the words of the true gospel but continue to remain in unbelief.  Then once the true gospel comes and the LORD begins to save his Elect, their eyes are no longer blind to the truth and their ears will hear and understand the true gospel.  They will then be able to grow in  the faith and become fruitful.  Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. (Luke 7:22) 

 

Isa 35:6

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

 

Peter and John were going to the temple and came across a lame man who was begging alms but Peter had no money instead he was healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. (Acts 3:8)  The man just didn’t stand up instead he leaped to his feet and continued to leap just as a deer leaps.  Then Jesus had cured a man who was dumb and could not speak.  And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. (Luke 11:14)  Then once the people saw these things they marvelled which was like being awe struck at the healing.  Both of these have spiritual meanings that once a person becomes saved, they are no longer spiritually lame but they are strong in the Lord and have strengthened the feeble knees and weak legs.  Then they begin to bring the true gospel to others as they now speak the truth where before they spoke only things of the world which was like being dumb to the true gospel but now they sing the true gospel out. 

 

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)  Then as the true gospel is given out to those who have not heard or those in false religions which is like being in a spiritual wilderness, the waters of life begin to irrigate the heart and minds of the people.  In conjunction to this, when people become saved then they will turn into a stream of living water that will go throughout the desert that is filled with false gospels which would be like an arid desert.

 

Isa 35:7

And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

 

The parched ground which is so dry that it actually yields mirages shall no longer be mirages but will become a pool of water which will water all those who hear the gospel and become saved.  It will be their oasis in the midst of the desert of false gospels.  Then not only will there be pools but those pools will create springs of water which is the water of the gospel that shall never run dry.  For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: (Isaiah 44:3) 

 

Then the habitations of dragons which represent the leaders of Israel who dwell in the cities will also partake of the truths of the gospel as the reeds and rushes are symbolically watered to allow them to grow.  This means that the gospel will go forth into the entire world both in the rural places and the cities.  The dragons once occupied the cities because they were left unkempt but now with the gospel coming to them, they will once again be cities where people can dwell in.  Remember the ultimate city which is the New Jerusalem where all the true believers will dwell eternally.

 

Isa 35:8

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

 

The highway that shall be there is called the way of holiness and the only way a person can become holy is if they are saved through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Holiness must be inward and not outward as the law was.  Therefore, this is not speaking of the law but of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ.   Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)  Holiness comes through the Lord Jesus Christ and no other way.  The unclean shall not be on that highway which means that no unbeliever can ever be in Christ no matter how much of the law they keep.  It shall only be for the true believer who are considered wayfaring or traveling through in this world.  Even if they were fools when they were unbelievers shall no longer be fools but will become strong believers in Christ.  Personally speaking, I was a fool because before I was saved, I drank a goodly amount of alcohol but since I became saved, I never had a drink, not even one.  The gospel gives us new perspectives on life and changes our priorities.

 

Isa 35:9

No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

 

No lion or ravenous beast shall ever be on the highway.  This means that once a person becomes saved, nothing Satan can do will ever cause us to lose our salvation even though he will try to derail us, he will never have access to that highway.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8)  The only ones allowed on that highway will be the redeemed, those who are saved in Christ.  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. (John 14:30)  If Satan has nothing in the Lord Jesus then he has nothing in us even though he wants us to think we are still under his authority.

 

Isa 35:10

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

 

The ransomed of the LORD will return and come to Zion.  This is not coming to Israel but Zion is the true, redeemed body of believers in Christ.  Notice it states they are singing as we saw previously they sing the songs of Zion but it states “everlasting joy upon their heads.”  The only thing which can bring everlasting joy is the true gospel itself.  There will only be joy and gladness forever as sin and Satan along with all the enemies of the Christians and Christ will now be done away with and removed permanently from the body of believers.  God himself has promised to remove very vestige of sorrow and sighing which is a sound one makes when they are under attack or persecution.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

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