Isaiah Chapter 35
Isaiah 35, The Highway of Holiness
Isaiah 35 follows the severe judgment of Isaiah 34. After the Lord’s indignation against the nations, Isaiah shows the restoration that comes when God saves, heals, restores creation, strengthens His people, and brings the redeemed home to Zion. This chapter is filled with kingdom hope. The wilderness blossoms, weak hands are strengthened, fearful hearts are comforted, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, the dumb sing, waters break out in the desert, and the ransomed of the Lord return with everlasting joy. The notes provided cover Isaiah 35:1-10, including restoration of the land, strengthening of the weak, miraculous healing, abundance replacing barrenness, the Highway of Holiness, the safety of the redeemed, and the final joy of those who come to Zion.
Isaiah 35:1-2
Isaiah 35:1-2, KJV, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.”
Isaiah moves from judgment to restoration. Isaiah 34 showed the indignation of the Lord against the nations, the sword of the Lord filled with blood, and Edom left desolate. Isaiah 35 answers that desolation with life. The wilderness and solitary place will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom as the rose. What was barren, dry, lonely, and lifeless will become fruitful and joyful under the blessing of God.
This is creation responding to the reign and saving work of the Lord. The land itself is pictured as rejoicing. The desert does not merely become useful. It rejoices. It blossoms abundantly. It sings. Isaiah uses poetic language, but the promise is real. God will restore what sin, judgment, and curse have damaged.
This promise had an immediate encouragement for Judah. After Assyrian devastation, God could restore the land. It also has a broader historical reminder in Israel’s later restoration to the land and the visible productivity of places once dry and barren. Yet the fullest fulfillment belongs to the future kingdom, when Messiah reigns and creation itself is liberated from the bondage of corruption.
Romans 8:19-22, KJV, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected same in hope, Because creature itself also shall delivered from bondage of corruption into glorious liberty of children of God. For we know that whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
Creation groans now because the curse still affects the world. But creation also waits in hope. Isaiah 35 describes that hope, the wilderness glad, the desert blossoming, and the land filled with joy and singing.
The phrase “the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon” shows abundance and beauty. Lebanon was known for majestic forests. Carmel and Sharon were known for fertility and beauty. The barren places will receive the glory of Lebanon and the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. God does not merely restore things to survival. He restores with glory.
The greatest statement is at the end of verse 2, “they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.” The restored land is not the main point. The visible glory of God is the main point. Creation’s renewal displays the excellency of God. The desert blossoms so that men may see the Lord’s glory.
This points forward to Messiah’s kingdom, when the knowledge of the Lord fills the earth.
Isaiah 11:6-9, KJV, “The wolf also shall dwell with lamb, and leopard shall lie down with kid; and calf and young lion and fatling together; and little child shall lead them. And cow and bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and lion shall eat straw like ox. And sucking child shall play on hole of asp, and weaned child shall put his hand on cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for earth shall full of knowledge of LORD, as waters cover sea.”
Isaiah 35 belongs to that same kingdom vision. The Lord will restore creation, display His glory, and fill the earth with the knowledge of Himself.
Isaiah 35:3-4
Isaiah 35:3-4, KJV, “Strengthen ye weak hands, and confirm feeble knees. Say to them that are of fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come vengeance, even God with recompence; he will come and save you.”
Because restoration is certain, God’s people must be strengthened. “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.” Weak hands suggest loss of strength for work. Feeble knees suggest loss of strength for standing, walking, progressing, and praying. Judgment, fear, oppression, and discouragement can make God’s people weak. But the promise of the Lord’s coming salvation is meant to strengthen them.
This is not empty motivational speech. Isaiah does not say, “Be strong because things are not that bad.” He says, “Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come.” The strength of God’s people rests on the coming of God Himself.
The fearful heart needs truth, not shallow optimism. The command is, “Be strong, fear not.” The reason is, “your God will come with vengeance, even God with recompence; he will come and save you.” God’s vengeance against His enemies is also salvation for His people. When the Lord judges oppressors, He delivers the oppressed. When He repays wickedness, He rescues the faithful.
This is why believers can take courage even in chastening and trial. Hebrews quotes this passage to encourage endurance under the Father’s discipline.
Hebrews 12:11-13, KJV, “Now no chastening for present seemeth joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up hands which hang down, and feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which lame be turned out of way; but let it rather healed.”
God’s chastening is grievous for the moment, but it yields fruit. Therefore weak hands must be lifted and feeble knees strengthened. The believer must not collapse under discipline. He must receive it, be strengthened by it, and keep walking straight.
Isaiah’s message is also evangelistic and prophetic. God will come. He will bring vengeance. He will bring recompense. He will save. The coming of the Lord is the answer to fear.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, KJV, “And to you who troubled rest with us, when Lord Jesus shall revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall punished with everlasting destruction from presence of Lord, and from glory of his power; When he shall come to glorified in his saints, and to admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed, in that day.”
The same coming that brings vengeance upon the wicked brings glory and rest to the saints. Therefore, fearful hearts can be strengthened by the promise, “He will come and save you.”
Isaiah 35:5-6a
Isaiah 35:5-6a, KJV, “Then eyes of blind shall opened, and ears of deaf shall unstopped. Then shall lame man leap as an hart, and tongue of dumb sing:”
When God comes to save, miraculous healing accompanies His salvation. The blind see. The deaf hear. The lame leap. The dumb sing. These are physical miracles, but they also picture spiritual restoration. Sin blinds, deafens, cripples, and silences. The Lord opens eyes, unstops ears, strengthens the lame, and gives songs to those who could not speak.
This passage is directly tied to the ministry of Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist was in prison and sent messengers to ask whether Jesus was truly the Coming One, Jesus answered by pointing to works that echoed Isaiah 35.
Matthew 11:2-6, KJV, “Now when John had heard in prison works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: blind receive their sight, and lame walk, lepers cleansed, and deaf hear, dead raised up, and poor have gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not offended in me.”
Jesus was telling John that the signs of Messiah were present in His ministry. The blind saw. The lame walked. The deaf heard. The poor heard the gospel. Jesus did not merely claim to be Messiah. He demonstrated Messianic power.
This also shows why Christ’s miracles were never random displays. They were signs of the kingdom. Every healed blind man, every opened ear, every strengthened lame man, and every loosened tongue testified that the King had come and that His kingdom would ultimately reverse the curse.
Luke 4:18-19, KJV, “The Spirit of Lord upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach gospel to poor; he hath sent me to heal brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to captives, and recovering of sight to blind, to set at liberty them that bruised, To preach acceptable year of Lord.”
Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s hope. He opens blind eyes physically and spiritually. He gives hearing to those who were deaf to truth. He makes the lame walk in strength. He gives praise to those who were silent.
The phrase “the tongue of the dumb sing” is especially beautiful. Salvation does not merely restore function. It produces worship. The healed tongue sings. God’s saving work gives His people a song.
Isaiah 35:6b-7
Isaiah 35:6b-7, KJV, “For in wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in desert. And parched ground shall become pool, and thirsty land springs of water: in habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall grass with reeds and rushes.”
The restoration of people is matched by the restoration of the land. “For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” Water in the desert is life where there was death, abundance where there was lack, and refreshment where there was exhaustion.
This is a physical kingdom promise, but it also has deep spiritual significance. The Lord brings living water to dry souls. Jesus connected this kind of imagery to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39, KJV, “In last day, that great day of feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”
The thirsty must come to Christ and drink. The one who believes in Him receives the Spirit, and rivers of living water flow from within. The kingdom will bring physical streams in the desert, and Christ already gives spiritual living water to His people through the Spirit.
Isaiah says, “the parched ground shall become a pool.” The word behind parched ground can carry the idea of a mirage, something that looks like water but is only illusion. God will turn illusion into reality. What men chased as false hope will be replaced by true provision. The thirsty land will have real springs of water.
This is exactly what the world cannot do. Sin offers mirages. It promises satisfaction, but leaves the soul dry. Christ gives true water.
John 4:13-14, KJV, “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but water that I shall give him shall in him well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The habitation of dragons becomes a place of grass, reeds, and rushes. Places once associated with danger and desolation become places of life. This is the pattern of God’s restoration. He does not merely remove barrenness. He replaces it with abundance.
Isaiah 35:8
Isaiah 35:8, KJV, “And an highway shall there, and a way, and it shall called The way of holiness; unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall for those: wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”
The chapter now introduces one of its great images, “The way of holiness.” Isaiah sees a highway prepared for God’s people. In the ancient world, a good road was a major blessing. It allowed safe travel, progress, movement, and return. But this is not merely an ordinary road. It is the Highway of Holiness.
A highway is a raised road. It is lifted up, cleared, and prepared. Spiritually, this points to the way God Himself makes for His redeemed people. Man could not build a road from sin to holiness, from death to life, from condemnation to glory. Only God could make such a way.
Jesus is the ultimate way.
John 14:6, KJV, “Jesus saith unto him, I am way, truth, and life: no man cometh unto Father, but by me.”
The Highway of Holiness is not human religion, moral self improvement, or ritual effort. It is the way opened by the Lord through redemption. Christ Himself is the way to the Father, and all who walk in Him walk the way of holiness.
Isaiah says, “the unclean shall not pass over it.” This road is not for the unclean. That does not mean only naturally holy people may enter, because no sinner is clean in himself. It means only those cleansed by God may walk there. The unclean remain excluded unless they are washed, forgiven, and made holy by the Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11, KJV, “Know ye not that unrighteous shall not inherit kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye washed, but ye sanctified, but ye justified in name of Lord Jesus, and by Spirit of our God.”
The unclean do not enter as unclean. They enter because they have been washed, sanctified, and justified through Christ.
Isaiah adds, “but it shall be for those.” The way belongs to the redeemed people of God. It is not hidden from them. It is not too complicated for them. Even “wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” This does not glorify foolishness. It emphasizes the clarity and safety of God’s way. The Lord’s road is so well marked, guarded, and directed that even the simple who walk by faith will not be led astray.
This is a great comfort. God’s people are not saved because they are clever enough to invent the road. They are saved because God has made the way and keeps His people on it.
Psalm 23:3, KJV, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
The Lord leads His sheep in paths of righteousness. The Highway of Holiness is His road, made by His grace, guarded by His power, and traveled by His redeemed.
Isaiah 35:9
Isaiah 35:9, KJV, “No lion shall be there, nor ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not found there; but redeemed shall walk there:”
The Highway of Holiness is safe. “No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon.” In the ancient world, dangerous animals made travel frightening. Isaiah says God’s holy road will be free from such threats. The redeemed can walk there securely.
Spiritually, this is a picture of protection from the devouring enemy. Peter describes Satan as a roaring lion.
1 Peter 5:8-9, KJV, “Be sober, vigilant; because adversary devil, as roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in faith, knowing that same afflictions accomplished in your brethren that are in world.”
Satan seeks to devour, but he does not devour those who remain on the Lord’s way, sober, vigilant, and steadfast in faith. The highway is safe because God guards it.
The verse ends, “but the redeemed shall walk there.” This road is for the redeemed. The word redeemed points to those purchased, rescued, and delivered by the Lord. They do not walk the highway because they earned it. They walk because they belong to the Redeemer.
Titus 2:14, KJV, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Christ redeems His people from iniquity and purifies them for Himself. The redeemed walk the Highway of Holiness because redemption leads to holiness. A man who claims redemption but refuses holiness does not understand the road.
Isaiah 35:10
Isaiah 35:10, KJV, “And ransomed of LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
The chapter ends with the destination and joy of the redeemed. “The ransomed of the LORD shall return.” The word ransomed points to rescue by payment, closely connected to the idea of the kinsman redeemer. God’s people return because they have been redeemed. They are not wanderers coming home by their own merit. They are ransomed people brought back by the Lord.
They come “to Zion with songs.” The road ends in Zion, the place of God’s reign, worship, and covenant presence. The journey of redemption is not aimless. It leads to God. It leads to worship. It leads to the King.
Their joy is described as “everlasting joy upon their heads.” This is not temporary relief. It is everlasting joy. They obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing flee away. Sorrow does not merely lessen. It flees. Sighing does not merely become manageable. It departs.
This promise reaches its final fullness in the eternal state.
Revelation 21:4, KJV, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there any more pain: for former things passed away.”
Isaiah 35 and Revelation 21 share the same hope, sorrow removed, joy secured, and God’s people brought into fullness of blessing.
Using the imagery of this chapter, the Lord takes people who are barren, weak, fearful, blind, deaf, lame, mute, dry, and endangered. He saves them, heals them, waters them, cleanses them, places them on the Highway of Holiness, protects them from the lion, and brings them home to Zion with singing.
That is the work of God’s salvation. He does not merely forgive sin and leave His people wandering. He redeems them, restores them, sanctifies them, guides them, guards them, and brings them home with everlasting joy.
