Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1933

Isaiah 35

THIS short chapter gives a little picture—one of several in the Scriptures—of the thousand years when the Lord Jesus shall reign as Israel’s Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, when He shall have put down all enemies on earth, and cleansed the land and its inhabitants.

In considering the contents of this chapter which tells so much of the true hope of Israel, the Christian may well survey his own exalted prospect. Preceded by no storm of trial; heralded by no “signs”; appearing not as a warrior King, but as the Church’s Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus will make His coming known by a shout, by archangel’s voice and trump of God. Instantly the dead in Christ shall rise, followed within the twinkling of an eye by us (believers) who are alive and remain, caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall ever be with Him (1 Thess. 4:15-17¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑17)).

When about to leave the world at the close of His matchless life on earth as the God-glorifying Man, He made it known that in His Father’s house are many abodes; that in leaving those He called His own, for whom He died, He was going to prepare a place for them, and would come again and receive them unto Himself, that where He is they may be also (John 14:2, 3²In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2‑3)). Amazing prospect for poor confessed sinners, deserving the torments of hell!

Israel’s hopes are also founded upon God’s Word; with them reliance is upon His promises to Abraham and David, for which reference may be made to Gen. 17:1-8¹And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. ²And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. ³And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, ⁴As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. ⁵Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. ⁶And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. ⁷And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. ⁸And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:1‑8); 1 Chron. 17; Jer. 33:7-26⁷And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. ⁸And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. ⁹And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. ¹⁰Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, ¹¹The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord. ¹²Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. ¹³In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord. ¹⁴Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. ¹⁷For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; ¹⁸Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. ¹⁹And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, ²⁰Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; ²¹Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. ²²As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. ²³Moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁴Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. ²⁵Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; ²⁶Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them. (Jeremiah 33:7‑26), and numerous other passages. Israel’s hopes, it is well to remember, are all earthly; the Christian’s are all heavenly, although we shall be with the Lord when He comes to reign, and we shall reign with Him over the earth.

Everything here has been touched by sin, and while sin will still be found in the world, it will be restrained; (Isa. 65:20²⁰There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. (Isaiah 65:20); Psa. 101 would seem also to be applicable, its last verse in the best reading being “Every morning will I destroy all the wicked,” etc.); Satan will not be free as now to deceive (Rev. 20:2, 3²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, ³And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:2‑3)), and in the land of Israel there will be few indeed, that are not born again. In large measure the curse will be removed from the ground; compare Gen. 3:18¹⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (Genesis 3:18) with Isa. 55:13¹³Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 55:13). The wilderness and the dry land (“solitary place”) shall be gladdened; the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose, the comparison being made with Lebanon, Carmel and Sharon, three most favored regions in olden times (verses 1 and 2).

If the barren land shall be so wonderfully altered, what of man, long exhibiting the effects of sin? Verses 3 to 6 answer: the weak, the feeble, the fearful will find salvation in their God—their fears will be banished. The eyes of the blind shall be opened; the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped; the lame shall leap as the hart, the dumb shall sing.

Where no water is, there shall be abundance, and there shall be a highway which Isaiah mentions a number of times (chapter 11:16; 49:11; 62:10), a way to Zion which shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass through it. It shall be for those that seek God.

“Those that go this way—even fools—shall not err therein.”

Along that new road, the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, coming to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Happy prospect, indeed! Meanwhile, the whole creation groans (Rom. 8:22²²For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 8:22)), and believers too, but with a higher, a heavenly prospect (2 Cor. 5:2²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: (2 Corinthians 5:2)).

ML 10/29/1933

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