Isa 35:8-10 | KingComments | STEP | The roadway by which God’s people are enabled to interact and communicate with one another will be sanctified to the LORD ( ). It is a roadway like the highway on which other nations will also walk, a roadway that runs through the wilderness to Israel ( ). It is not possible to go astray or not understand one another. There is only a “Highway of Holiness” on which no unclean person can walk. It is the roadway that leads to Jerusalem. The roadway in the presence of God is always the roadway of holiness. In that day, when the hearts of men have returned to the LORD, He will lead them to Himself by the Highway of Holiness, to Mount Zion, where His throne will be established and from where His law will go over the whole earth. That roadway is also a picture of the Lord Jesus. For us He is the way to the Father ( ), to have fellowship with Him. Through Him we, New Testament believers, will be eternally in the presence of the Father in the Father’s house. He is also for His earthly people the only way to all earthly blessings they will enjoy in the realm of peace. This roadway is only for those who have fellowship with God, in their hearts “are the highways” ( ). Similarly, in the new Jerusalem there is only one street, “the street” of “pure gold” ( ). There, too, it will be impossible for anything unholy or unclean to come there, nor will it be possible to wander or do anything that contradicts God’s glory, of which gold is a picture. There will be nothing that can be dangerous for the redeemed because they walk in obedience ( ; cf. ; ). He is only for the redeemed. They walk the roadway of blessing that the human beings of the past have always wanted to build in the history of the world. All these efforts have caused nothing but misery because everything is based on selfishness and abuse of power. No civilization has been able to eradicate war and disease, despite all the peace conferences and treaties. Only Christ can and will bring order. His return is the only and certain hope for lasting peace.

‏ Isaiah 35:8-10

The Highway of Holiness

The roadway by which God’s people are enabled to interact and communicate with one another will be sanctified to the LORD (Isa 35:8). It is a roadway like the highway on which other nations will also walk, a roadway that runs through the wilderness to Israel (Isa 19:23). It is not possible to go astray or not understand one another. There is only a “Highway of Holiness” on which no unclean person can walk. It is the roadway that leads to Jerusalem.

The roadway in the presence of God is always the roadway of holiness. In that day, when the hearts of men have returned to the LORD, He will lead them to Himself by the Highway of Holiness, to Mount Zion, where His throne will be established and from where His law will go over the whole earth.

That roadway is also a picture of the Lord Jesus. For us He is the way to the Father (Jn 14:6), to have fellowship with Him. Through Him we, New Testament believers, will be eternally in the presence of the Father in the Father’s house.

He is also for His earthly people the only way to all earthly blessings they will enjoy in the realm of peace. This roadway is only for those who have fellowship with God, in their hearts “are the highways” (Psa 84:5). Similarly, in the new Jerusalem there is only one street, “the street” of “pure gold” (Rev 21:21b). There, too, it will be impossible for anything unholy or unclean to come there, nor will it be possible to wander or do anything that contradicts God’s glory, of which gold is a picture.

There will be nothing that can be dangerous for the redeemed because they walk in obedience (Isa 35:9; cf. 1Kgs 13:21-24; Jdg 14:5). He is only for the redeemed. They walk the roadway of blessing that the human beings of the past have always wanted to build in the history of the world. All these efforts have caused nothing but misery because everything is based on selfishness and abuse of power. No civilization has been able to eradicate war and disease, despite all the peace conferences and treaties. Only Christ can and will bring order. His return is the only and certain hope for lasting peace.

The Ransomed of the LORD

The section concludes with a promise repeated in Isaiah 51 (Isa 51:11) – through which both main sections of the book express the same message of comfort; this is a proof of the unity of the book. In anticipation of the glorious situation described above, “the ransomed of the LORD” will return to the land. No one will be left behind in the land of his exile (Eze 39:28; Mt 24:31).

Instead of ashes on their heads as a sign of mourning, there will be joy upon their heads. This joy will never be disturbed again. The joy of their return will be enhanced by the gladness and joy they will experience when they have come to the land. All suffering and its manifestations will then be forgotten; they will, so to speak, flee at the sight of all those glorious things, never to return. They have passed away forever.

Thus this third part of the book of Isaiah ends with the “joyful shouting” of “everlasting joy”, like the first and the second part (Isa 12:1-6 ; Isa 27:2-13). This is reminiscent of the situation of the new heaven and the new earth that will follow thereafter: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev 21:3-4).