Isaiah 35

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.

It will blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. Lebanon’s glory will be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the LORD’s glory, the excellence of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make the feeble knees firm.

Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you.

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

Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.

The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.

A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called “The Holy Way”. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools shall not go there.

No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it. They will not be found there; but the redeemed will walk there.

Then the LORD’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter celebrates the eschatological restoration brought by the coming of the Lord, depicting a transformed creation and redeemed humanity. Set within the larger section of Isaiah that promises comfort after judgment (chapters 40–66), chapter 35 functions as a poetic vision of salvation, where both nature and people are renewed. The desert blooms, the broken are healed, and the people of God return joyfully to Zion, secured on a holy highway free from danger and defilement.

Flow.

Begins with the wilderness and desert transformed by God’s glory, mirroring the fertility of Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon.
Shifts to a call for human restoration: the weak are strengthened, the fearful are reassured, and divine vengeance gives way to salvation.
Presents miraculous healing as a sign of the age to come—blind see, deaf hear, mute speak, and the lame leap—accompanied by water in the desert.
Concludes with the image of a sacred highway where the redeemed journey safely to Zion, crowned with everlasting joy.

Connections.
Following chapter 34, which describes God’s judgment on the nations—particularly Edom—this chapter offers the redemptive counterpart: where judgment left the land desolate (), redemption makes it flourish (). The transformation of the wilderness in chapter 35 answers the devastation just described, showing that God’s wrath is not the final word. The healing of the afflicted and the safe pilgrimage to Zion point forward to chapter 40, which begins the great announcement of comfort and the return from exile, preparing “the way of the LORD” ()—a theme already anticipated in the “Holy Way” of this chapter.

What it teaches.
The coming of the Lord brings comprehensive renewal—physical, spiritual, and cosmic—fulfilling the promises of redemption and restoration. The signs of healing () are not mere miracles but indicators of the messianic age, where God’s presence reverses the effects of the fall and judges evil (WCF 8.8; LC 87). The “Holy Way” () reflects the holiness required of those who belong to God’s kingdom (BC Article 21), while the safety of the journey underscores divine protection (HC LD 10). The final return to Zion with joy and glory points to the consummation of salvation, where sorrow is banished and God’s ransomed people dwell in everlasting joy (; WCF 17.1; Canons of Dort V.14).

Apply.
The same power that opens blind eyes and makes deserts flow with water leads the redeemed to walk safely on the path of holiness.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.